LSE Connect

For alumni of the London School of Economics and Political ScienceVol 23, number 1, summer 2011

Judith ReesWelcome from the new director

Nikolas RoseUnderstanding the human mind

Connect

Jill Stuart on the governance of the stars

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I Summer 2011 I LSE Connect I 3II Summe

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LSE CONNECT is available online at lse.ac.uk/LSEConnect. If you would like to opt to receive only the online version of LSE Connect via an email alert, please update the ‘Personal Information’ section in the ‘My Profi le Page’ of your Houghton Street Online account.

LSE Connect is published twice a year by the Press and Information Offi ce at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE. Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 7060. Fax: +44 (0)20 7852 3658. Email: [email protected]

Commissioning editor: Claire SandersProduction editor: Fiona WhitemanAlumni news editor: Nat HolthamArt and design editor: Claire HarrisonAssistant art and design editor: Ailsa DrakePhotography (unless stated): Nigel Stead Editorial assistants: Deirdre French, Sarah Savage, Jess WintersteinPrinted by: Warners

Published by The London School of Economics and Political Science (‘LSE’), Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE. LSE is a School of the University of London. It is a Charity and is incorporated in England as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Acts (Reg number 70527).

Copyright in editorial matter and in the magazine as a whole belongs to LSE ©2011. Copyright in individual articles belongs to the authors who have asserted their moral rights ©2011.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be issued to the public or circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

Requests for permission to reproduce any article or part of the magazine should be sent to the editor at the above address.

In the interests of providing a free fl ow of debate, views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, LSE alumni or LSE.

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this magazine, LSE accepts no responsibility for the veracity of claims or accuracy of information provided by contributors.

Freedom of thought and expression is essential to the pursuit, advancement and dissemination of knowledge. LSE seeks to ensure that intellectual freedom and freedom of expression within the law is secured for all our members and those we invite to the School.

Printed on recycled paper

LSE Connect

Editor’s message

FeaturesWho owns outer space?Jill Stuart explores the domain of

cosmic governance 6

Brains matterNikolas Rose on neuroscience and

the social scientist – a meeting of

minds? 10

Rights and rip-offsHugh Collins calls for better rights

of redress for victims of scams 12

Welcome 193rd country of the worldMareike Schomerus on the birth of

the Republic of South Sudan 14

Change of directorLSE’s new director introduces herself

to alumni 16

A tribute to Howard DaviesPeter Sutherland, chair of Council,

pays tribute to LSE’s 12th director 17

War on all frontsJoanna Bale fi nds out why an

international approach illuminates

fi rst world war research 20

High societiesHow was it for you? Alumni talk to

Jess Winterstein about LSE clubs 22

Regulars Headline news 4

Opinion: Martin Anthony on the

beauty of maths 19

Campus: latest developments 24

LSE and me: alumnus Merlin Matthews

on recycling bikes for Africa 26

LSE icons: from our picture

archives 27

Thankyou: how you’ve helped 28

News 30

Research update 34

Letters 35

Alumni: news, events, reunions

and group activities 36

Class notes 43

Rapid resumé: Pavlina Marinova 44

Obituaries 45

Books 46LSE Connect is available online at lse.ac.uk/LSEConnect

The governance of the stars, the new country of South

Sudan and the formation of the mind are all subjects

covered in this particularly diverse issue of LSE Connect.

The range of subjects is a timely reminder of the breadth

and depth of work undertaken at LSE and the engagement

of the School’s academics in the big – and emerging – social

issues of the day. This is particularly important given the

media focus in recent months on LSE’s links to Libya and the subsequent resignation

of the director, Howard Davies. These links are now the subject of the Woolf inquiry,

and at the time of writing it is not yet clear when it will report.

The magazine offers Professor Judith Rees, the new director, a chance to introduce

herself (page 16). A former deputy director of the School, Professor Rees agreed

to take on the role while the School searches for a permanent director. Chair of

Council, Peter Sutherland, has also penned a tribute to Howard to run alongside

Professor Rees’s piece.

The magazine, as ever, seeks to convey alumni views and comments. For example,

Rebecca Spyke Keiser, now working for NASA, has written a fascinating viewpoint

to accompany Dr Jill Stuart’s equally interesting piece on the governance of outer

space. In the same vein, alumni letters are always welcome, and we would like to

thank those who wrote in to point out the error on a map published to illustrate

a piece on the Middle East Centre. The map did not mark Israel clearly and a full

apology is on page 28, but suffi ce to say here that the error was entirely mine and

nothing to do with the Centre.

Finally, in keeping with our policy of offering alumni the chance to read LSE

Connect on the web, and to receive an email alert rather than a paper version

of the magazine, just a reminder that this can be done by simply updating the

Personal Information section on the My Profi le Page of Houghton Street Online at

www.alumni.lse.ac.uk. Nearly 2,500 of you have already done this, enabling us to

maintain our green commitment to reducing the impact on the environment of

printing and posting the magazine. We look forward to hearing from you.

Claire Sanders

4 I LSE Connect I Summer 2011 I

Academic esteem for LSE p

Webbs on the webp

Sustainable City Awards highly commend LSE p

HEADLINE NEWS

The School is in safe hands while a new director is appointed

For the biggest stories from around the campus and beyond, see page 30

CHANGE OF DIRECTORIt was with great regret that the Council of LSE accepted the resignation of Howard Davies as director on 3 March, following international coverage about LSE’s links with Libya.

In his resignation letter, Howard

Davies (pictured) wrote: “I am

responsible for the School’s

reputation, and that has suffered. I

believe that the decisions we

have made were reasonable,

and can be justifi ed… But

however laudable our

intentions, in the light

of developments in

Libya the consequences

have been highly

unfortunate, and I must

take responsibility for that.”

Although Howard Davies’s

fi rst offer to resign was

rejected by Council, his second

was reluctantly accepted. “Howard

has been an outstanding director

for the past eight years and his

achievements here will endure long

after the current controversy has

died away,” said Peter Sutherland,

chairman of the Court of Governors.

“We accept his resignation with

great regret and reluctance but

understand that he has taken an

honourable course of action in the

best interests of the School.” A

tribute to the directorship of Howard

Davies by Peter Sutherland is on

page 17.

Council has also commissioned an

independent inquiry into the School’s

relationship with Libya, which is being

conducted by Lord Woolf, former Lord

Chief Justice of England and Wales

and former chairman of the Council

of University College London. Lord

Woolf’s report will be made public, in

full, when his investigation is complete.

Professor Judith Rees

The School is in safe hands while a

new director is sought, with Professor

Judith Rees taking up the post from

2 May. Professor Rees CBE, professor

of environmental and resources

management, was a student at

LSE, being awarded both BSc and

MPhil before receiving her PhD. A

deputy director from 1998 to 2004

under Anthony Giddens’ directorship,

she has also been director of the

Grantham Research Institute on

Climate Change and the Environment

and of the ESRC Centre for Climate

Change Economics and Policy.

Professor Rees said that it will be

an honour to help steer the School

at a time when there will be major

issues to deal with, including the

important work of the independent

Woolf inquiry, the changing nature

of higher education funding and

the appointment process for a new,

permanent director.

“The core business of LSE is world-

class research and outstanding

teaching. I will do everything I can

to ensure this very special institution

remains in the fi rst rank of the

world’s universities. Howard Davies

has been an outstanding leader in

this and other respects and will be a

hard act to follow.”

Peter Sutherland said: “Judith Rees is

an academic with a global reputation

who was an enormously effective

deputy director. I am sure staff and

students will be supportive and show

our common resolve to protect and

enhance this great institution.”

Judith Rees introduces herself to

alumni on page 16. ■

I Summer 2011 I LSE Connect I 5

3

1 Secretary of state for Business,

Innovation and Skills Vince Cable

(right) joined OECD Secretary

General Angel Gurría (left) at

a celebration of the OECD’s

50th Anniversary.

Podcasts, vodcasts and transcripts are available for many public events. See lse.ac.uk/events

4

2

5

61

2 Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese

opposition leader and Nobel

Peace Prize laureate, participated

in a live videolink lecture, where

she spoke about the path to

reconciliation and democracy.

3 Mary Robinson, former president

of Ireland and United Nations high

commissioner for human rights

and current president of the Mary

Robinson Foundation – Climate

Justice, gave a lecture on why

climate change needs climate justice.

4 Sergey Lavrov, minister of foreign

affairs of the Russian Federation,

examined the foreign policy of

modern Russia and the prospects for

Russian-British relations.

5 Best-selling Turkish novelist

Elif Shafak spoke at the 2011 LSE

Literary Festival on empathy in the

age of confl ict.

6 Harriet Harman QC, MP and

shadow secretary of state for

international development, gave a

lecture on growing the aid budget at

a time of defi cit reduction.

Many eminent speakers have visited the School recently


The end of the 30-year space shuttle programme this summer does not mean the end of our romance with outer space. Here, Jill Stuart explores the history of cosmic governance and points to the future.

On 4 October 1957, Sputnik I was launched

into outer space... and into a legal vacuum.

As it circled the planet every 92.6 minutes

and became earth’s fi rst human-made satellite, was

it crossing through different countries’ airspace? Or

was it passing freely, like a ship on the high seas,

through neutral territory?

As was the case with most issues at the time, the

question became embedded in Cold War politics, and

the Soviet Union and the United States didn’t quite

see eye to eye on the matter. Both had determined

that it was impossible to exclude the other from

entering space, so engaged in treaty negotiations

through the United Nations to establish governance

over the region.

As a closed society with more to hide, the Soviets

preferred an airspace analogy, which would exclude

objects from the “space” that extended above a state,

that “no-orbit” area rotating along with the land

beneath it. (Never mind that the USSR had already

indirectly established a contrary norm with Sputnik I

emitting its beeps around the world).

The Americans were more drawn to space

reconnaissance, and preferred the high seas analogy

– with space deemed neutral territory. Luckily for

the US, rising tensions between the USSR and the

equally secretive state of China in the 1960s piqued

Soviet interest in space spying as well, and by 1967

neutrality had been established by the Outer Space

Treaty (OST) drawn up by the UN.

Despite the strategic geopolitical motivations that

informed much of the Treaty, its wording is eloquent and

optimistic: space is to be used for “peaceful purposes”,

“the province of all mankind”, and not subject to

“national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by

means of use or occupation, or by any other means”.

One detail not covered was where airspace ended

© N

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© DREAMSTIME/DAVID EBNER


In the 1970s a new set of challenges to the growing body of outer space law emerged from developing countries

ALUMNI VIEWPOINT

Rebecca Spyke Keiser on the future of NASA

This summer, NASA plans

to fl y its last Space Shuttle

mission, and upon its landing,

the Shuttle orbiters will be

prepared for transfer to museums around the United

States for display. This last mission will complete

an incredible 30 years of Shuttle fl ights and a new

generation of United States human space fl ight will

begin. NASA’s new space exploration programme

is based on maintaining a national crew and cargo

transportation capability to the International Space

Station in partnership with the private sector, and

on developing a NASA capability to go beyond the

International Space Station with a heavy lift vehicle

and crew capsule. We will design increasingly complex

human missions as we gain the technological capability

© N

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to go ever deeper into our solar system. Mission

destinations include the Moon, asteroids, Lagrange

Points, the moons of Mars, and ultimately Mars itself.

Although NASA has a long history of working with

the private sector (80 per cent of NASA funds are spent

on contracts), NASA is pursuing a new and innovative

way to collaborate through the Commercial Orbital

Transportation Services (COTS) programme and the

Commercial Crew Development programme. COTS has

already begun for cargo, and in this effort, NASA and

the commercial partner co-fund development of a cargo

transportation capability. Commercial crew development

will work the same way. NASA will then purchase the

cargo and crew services from these commercial entities

once they are developed and are proven reliable. NASA

will also continue to collaborate with its international

partners on utilising and operating the International

Space Station, and on its deeper-space human space

fl ight missions.

In this new and collaborative environment, it is not yet

clear what we need to revise or add to our international

legal framework for outer space. Dr Stuart raises an

interesting point in this issue about the potential need

for mining rights as part of our legal regime. NASA’s

lunar plans are now at a point of being more of a

technological challenge, and it is not yet clear that

signifi cant revisions to the existing international legal

regime will be needed to enable or even facilitate

such efforts. Moreover, an international treaty

may or may not be the solution at that point – for

instance, NASA and its international partners formed

the International Space Station approach around a

framework multilateral agreement. Indeed, bilateral

and multilateral agreements, tailored to the technical

and legal challenges of specifi c partnerships, can be

effective means for advancing space exploration goals.

The issues we will face in that future environment

are not yet known, and we hope to address them

through whatever legal structure is best suited to

the issues, under the overall framework of the Outer

Space Treaty.

Rebecca Spyke Keiser (MSc Politics of the World

Economy 1992) is associate deputy administrator

for policy integration at NASA.

(Usque ad coelum – “as far as the sky” according to

air law) and where outer space began.

The US and USSR’s space programmes continued

throughout the 1960s in a tit-for-tat manner (fi rst

satellite, fi rst man in space, fi rst woman in space, fi rst

two-person fl ight, fi rst space station...). By most accounts

the Space Race culminated in the successful American

moon landing – a feat that would wow humanity, hint

at the sublime, fulfi l humankind’s inherent need to

explore... and of course less romantically: demonstrate

long-range missile capabilities (since if you can send a

manned capsule far into space, you can clearly swap

that capsule with a bomb).

On 20 July 1969, the Americans took that small

step for man and that giant leap for mankind when

the Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon. Most

will be familiar with the images of Buzz Aldrin and

Neil Armstrong planting the US fl ag on the surface.

So who owns the moon? The answer is: no one. No

matter how many fl ags the Americans symbolically

littered the surface with – and indeed through

subsequent missions there have been six American

fl ags hand-planted there (the Soviet Union, Japan,

the European Union and most recently India also

have fl ags on the moon, though delivered remotely

on unmanned devices) – the moon remains neutral

territory under the Outer Space Treaty.

In the 1970s a new set of challenges to the growing

body of outer space law emerged from developing

countries. Through the Group of 77 (G77) – 77 de-

veloping countries working to promote the interests

of developing nations and to act as voting bloc – less

developed countries were challenging various aspects

of international law and ownership of resources

such as minerals beneath the sea bed. With regards

to outer space, one of the G77’s main targets was

the governance of geostationary orbit (GSO) – the

swathe of orbit above the Earth’s equator, 35,786

kilometres up, where satellites appear fi xed in the

sky from the Earth beneath them.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU)

had, since the 1960s, been keeping a record of

satellites’ orbital slots within GSO, as well as the

radio frequencies that they used to communicate

back to Earth. Based on earlier precedents of the ITU

registering radio frequency usage a posteriori (that

is, once someone started using a frequency, if there

were no confl icts the frequency was registered to that

user), GSO orbital slots were registered to a “user”

after the satellite was in place. Developing countries

felt that this policy was unfair as GSO could feasibly

become full before they had the chance to develop

satellite technology.

A further development with implications for space

ownership was the Bogotá Declaration. In 1976 eight

equatorial countries (Brazil, Colombia, Congo, Ecua-

dor, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda and Zaire) signed a

Declaration stating that, given the lack of a defi nition

of outer space, GSO should not be considered part

of neutral outer space, but rather as the territory and

jurisdiction of the states that are beneath them. This

would mean that at some undefi ned point airspace

became neutral outer space, but that upon reaching

GSO above the equator, there would be a swathe

of sovereign territory, belonging to the states below.

Neither the UN nor the ITU engaged with these claims

very seriously, although the Declaration limped along

and was reluctantly addressed in various meetings

of the international community for quite some time.

A different class of executive teaching...


FEATURES WHO OWNS OUTER SPACE?

By 1988 the founding Bogotá Declaration states had

all abandoned their efforts, leaving “outer space”

neutrality intact. (The wider Group of 77, however,

did manage to negotiate for the ITU to allocate

some a priori GSO slots – though the revolution in

telephone communication through fi bre optics in the

1980s decreased the demand for GSO satellites, and

as such few have been used.)

While the fi rst four main outer space treaties have

been widely ratifi ed, the fi fth and last has been regarded

as a failure. The Moon Treaty was drafted in 1979,

and was established to confront and regulate growing

interests by states in possibly mining resources from

celestial bodies – an issue that still remains opaque today.

The OST does not ban the extraction of resources from

space, though mining stations must not constitute de

facto “occupation” of a part of outer space – similar to

ships and rigs undertaking resource extractions on the

high seas. However, it isn’t clear whether any resources

dug up would belong to the actor that acquired them.

The Moon Treaty stated, quite unhelpfully, that: “The

moon and its natural resources are the common herit-

age of mankind” and that the “use of the moon... shall

be carried out for the benefi t and in the interests of all

countries...”. In 2002, Ouyang Ziyuan of China’s moon

exploration programme stated that: “Our long-term goal

is to set up a base on the moon and mine its riches for

Can I buy land on the moon?Many companies advertise the opportunity

to buy plots of land on the moon. The Outer

Space Treaty states that outer space and celestial

bodies are voided from “national appropriation

by claim of sovereignty...”. Some entrepreneurs

have interpreted this as meaning that only states

are excluded from claiming space territory, but

that individuals or private companies can. As

such, plots of land on the moon have been sold

many times over by enthusiastic companies. The

bottom line: if you own such a plot, I wouldn’t

start planning your holiday house on the Sea

of Tranquillity – these property rights are highly

unlikely to hold up. Unfortunately the same goes

for the naming of stars. Only the International

Astronomical Union can offi cially register the

name of a star, and they are not linked to any

company doing so for money.

What happens to a fl ag on the moon?Artefacts left on the moon could feasibly go

undisturbed for millions of years, given that the

moon has no atmosphere, no weather, and no

corrosive elements – only an impact from another

body, such as a comet, would disturb an item there.

In addition to the American fl ag, the fi rst moon

landing mission (Apollo 11) left a plaque reading

“We Came In Peace for All Mankind”, and dated

1969 – the height of the Vietnam War.

Where does airspace end and outer space begin? This has not been clarifi ed in any international

treaty. By some accounts, it is 100 kilometres above

Earth’s surface, roughly where a vehicle would

have to reach a certain speed in order to escape

Earth’s atmosphere. The US considers anyone

who has travelled beyond 80 kilometres out to

be an astronaut. Space Tourism fl ights, such as

those proposed by Virgin Galactic, would reach

21 kilometres, giving passengers a period of

approximately six minutes of weightlessness.

Has anyone ever planned an attack on the moon?US President Kennedy very briefl y considered

bombing the surface of the moon instead

of landing on it. Doing so would alter its

surface and provide globally visible evidence

of America’s technological, scientifi c, military

and ideological prowess.

the benefi t of humanity” – a statement as unclear as

the Moon Treaty itself.

Where next for issues of outer space ownership?

Several questions promise to rear their head in the

next decade. As more and more countries develop

space-faring capabilities (and particularly developing

countries leading in this area, such as China, India and

Brazil), matters regarding orbital overcrowding, debris,

and right-to-access will become more pressing. Space

tourism into Low-Earth Orbit, by companies such as

Virgin Galactic, will also likely require a clarifi cation

of the boundary between air- and outer-space – up

until now planes fl ew low enough, and satellites

high enough, to avoid addressing the question more

thoroughly – but space tourism vehicles will fl y/orbit

in the grey area. Several private companies have also

recently expressed an interest in mining the moon –

and the introduction of non-state actors into outer

The moon and its natural resources are the common heritage of mankind

space activities is likely to pattern future developments

in legislation over the region. In short, a new treaty

clarifying mining rights and obligations is needed.

Sputnik disintegrated in the Earth’s atmosphere in

January 1958, after spending three months in orbit.

The last American space shuttle mission is due to

launch later this year, after which the entire fl eet of

vehicles will be retired. Landmark events such as these

leave a legacy of legal, political and philosophical

questions for humankind. In the near future we will

need to readdress the question fi rst raised 60 years

ago: who owns outer space? ■

Jill Stuart is an LSE fellow in global politics in the Department of Government.

THE MOON TREATY 1979

© NASA


BRAINS MATTER

Over the last 50 years neuroscientists have offered extraordinary insights into how the brain works, changing the way we think about our minds and ourselves. Here, Nikolas Rose refl ects on the social and political implications of these latest advances in brain sciences.

When BIOS, LSE’s centre for the study of

biosciences, biomedicine, biotechnology

and society opened its doors in 2003,

the new century had only recently begun. Along

with so many other remarkable developments in

the life sciences, there was one that was particularly

challenging for the social sciences and humanities.

For neuroscience was promising to offer radically

new ways of understanding that most complex and

personal of organs – the human brain.

As director of BIOS – with a background in biology

and three decades of research on social and political

aspects of psychiatry and personhood – I found myself

surveying an extraordinary landscape. Neuroscientists,

who had long been very cautious about the implications

of their basic research for an understanding of higher

mental functions in humans, were now leaving their

laboratories and marching into territories that had

previously seemed out of bounds – the physical basis

of mind, consciousness, the sense of self, the feeling

of empathy, the neural substrates of will and desire.

Equipped with a new molecular understanding of

brain mechanisms, and with novel ways of visualising

processes in the living brain, many claimed to be able

to provide an objective counterpart, not just to the

theories of psychology, but to much more: to sociological

understanding of human action, anthropological

accounts of culture, economic accounts of human

choices, aesthetic accounts of the appreciation of beauty,

and to age-old problems of philosophy.

development and capacities was shaped by environment

and culture from the moment of conception if not

before. This called for a radically new approach to

biology from the social and human sciences – and not

least to the biology of the human mind.

In 2007 BIOS put this case to the Economic and Social

Research Council, and it agreed to fund a three-year

research programme that would chart the emergence of

the new brain sciences – their development and spread

and the ways in which they were altering the way we

think about human beings, their minds and their brains

and their impact in social practices ranging from the clinic

to the economy. This work was also supported by a grant

from the European Science Foundation to establish the

European Neuroscience and Society Network involving

representatives from some 15 European countries.

Through this work we have been able to chart the

50-year journey from the birth of the neurosciences

in the 1960s to their current state in which many

thousands of research papers are published every

year, in hundreds of journals, with contributions from

scientists across the world. It is a path that has led to

huge expectations about the potential contributions

to human health of this new knowledge of the brain,

and arguments that many of our social policies need

to be reshaped in the light of this new knowledge.

While many have long argued for the importance

of early childhood, now it is claimed that this is crucial

for the development of the brain. Organisations such

as Iain Duncan Smith’s Centre for Social Justice and

Camila Batmanghelidjh’s Kids Company argue that

neuroscience now shows objectively that major public

investment in intensive input into families in the early

years will pay great dividends in averting later problems

and the individual, social and economic cost associated

with them. In cases such as these, evidence from the

brain sciences has served merely to reinforce what has

been known for many years from social research.

In other areas, however, things are less straightforward.

In the closing decades of the 20th century there were

great hopes that brain research would, at last, uncover

the underlying bases of mental disorders, allowing

accurate diagnosis, and effective therapies. There were

claims that “smart drugs” would target these bases,

producing recovery without the dire side effects of an

older generation of psychiatric medication. Perhaps we

would even be able to identify “biomarkers” – biological

This opens a tremendous opportunity for novel collaborations between life scientists and social scientists

It appeared that psychological conceptions of person-

hood that had dominated so much thinking in the

20th century were on the wane. And if so, with what

consequences for law, social and economic policy,

education, child-rearing, for our understanding of

the ties that bind individuals into human groups

and societies, and of human prejudice and confl ict?

For an academic in a university founded to understand

the “causes of things”, I found myself contemplating

a world in which researchers were arguing that we

could begin to understand the causes of our thoughts

themselves – and to fi nd those located not merely in

culture and history, but in biology. What makes us think as

we do? Why do some people act impulsively and others

restrain themselves? Why do some suffer depression

and others fl ourish even in the most challenging of

circumstances? What causes memory to decline with

age? Even – and this was a quest for others at LSE such

as Professor Richard Layard – what makes us happy?

Of course, there have been many previous moments in

history when biological explanations of human conduct

have come to the fore, and often the outcomes have

been depressing and sometimes disastrous. The events

of the last century show clearly the consequences of

the belief that human worth could be determined by

genetics – that biology was destiny.

But our work in BIOS on contemporary biology

painted a different picture – of a new biology emerging

in molecular biology, in genomics and in neuroscience.

This new biology saw living systems as open, dynamic,

complex, and understood that every aspect of human


indicators of future psychiatric diffi culties, and even of

future anti-social conduct – that could be picked up before

the condition arose, allowing early preventive intervention.

Here the situation has proved to be much more

complicated, in a way that also has consequences for

the social sciences. Despite a very intensive research

programme, it now seems clear that the mental

distress that ails so many of us in contemporary

societies – one in four in any one year according to

most estimates – has no simple genetic basis, no

clear biological substrates, and no easy targets for

psychiatric medication. The smart drugs, despite

the hype about Prozac and its relatives, proved

little smarter than those that had preceded them.

Biomarkers not only proved elusive, but social

researchers from BIOS and other centres drew

attention to the problems of social stigma and self-

fulfi lling prophesies that might be generated if beliefs

about a child’s liability to future mental disorder, let

alone criminality, were generated on the basis of

shaky and unreliable predictions of risk.

As neuroscience itself has developed, the arguments

from the social sciences have been largely vindicated –

mental distress is a matter of human beings in societies,

cultures and social practices, not merely a matter of

brains. But now this recognition is shared by many

neurobiologists who recognised that the brain is the

most open, complex and dynamic organ in the human

body; the challenge is now to explore the ways in which

society, culture and experience “get under the skin”

and how brains and persons are mutually shaped in

the process. This opens a tremendous opportunity for

novel collaborations between life scientists and social

scientists in addressing major social issues in a way that

does not set society in opposition to biology, or argue

for the dominance of one over the other, but respects

the contributions that these distinct forms of knowledge

can offer – work that is being done not only in BIOS

but in other LSE collaborations, for instance with the

Institute of Psychiatry in London.

There is no doubt that the problems of explanation

– let alone of effective intervention – have proved

enduring and challenging in all areas. If we remain

with psychiatry, these problems begin with diagnosis.

Although current estimates suggest that over half

of us will suffer from a diagnosable psychiatric

condition over a lifetime, diagnosis remains diffi cult

and subjective – as yet neurobiology has proved

little help in distinguishing depression from normal

sadness, attention defi cit hyperactivity disorder from

normal childhood activity, or even, despite recent

technological advances, the early stages of dementia

from normal processes of ageing. As far as therapy

is concerned, several of the largest pharmaceutical

companies are withdrawing from the psychiatric area,

because our growing knowledge of brain processes

has not proved easy to translate into effective drug

treatments – indeed, it may be the case that the most

effective interventions onto brain states are social and

environmental, not biological and pharmaceutical.

The social and human sciences have much to contribute

here, but that contribution should not be predicated on

the disdain for the biological that has characterised much

work in our disciplines. Of course we should be critical

of those popularisers who claim that we now know that

this or that feature of the human condition – whether it

be mental distress or the feeling of empathy for others,

intellectual abilities or the appreciation of beauty – is

“all in the brain”. The more we know about the human

brain, the more we know that it is an organ exquisitely

adapted by evolution to the lives of humans in culture

and society, changing in multiple ways as it is entwined

within the social practices and webs of meaning within

which we make and live our lives. Our neurobiology

both makes those lives possible, and is shaped by our

experiences in the most fundamental ways.

To create an understanding of the human mind,

human conduct and human ailments in human societies

that recognises that we are indeed animals, though very

special ones; that we are sh aped by our biology, but that

our biology is itself profoundly social: this seems to me

– and to us in BIOS – to be one of the most important

challenges for the social and human sciences in the

21st century, and one to which LSE, with its dedication

to understand the causes of things, is uniquely well

placed to address. ■

Nikolas Rose is Martin White Professor of Sociology at LSE and director of LSE’s BIOS Centre for the Study of Bioscience, Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Society.

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The LSE Short Course on Regulation

Victims of scams and aggressive sales techniques need better legal protection – and it needs to be a lot less complex, argues Hugh Collins.

Harris Tweed jacket, a “bargain” from a shop near

LSE that was having a “closing down sale”. Whilst

admiring the fi ne jacket, I told him that to my certain

knowledge the shop had been advertising a closing

down sale for 20 years. The shop’s claim was probably

true, but misleading. It operates under short leases of

the premises, so that every few months the business

faces closure until the lease is renewed. Such a

misleading statement, even if technically true, is Everyone loves a bargain. When the late Niklaus

Luhmann, the distinguished German social

theorist, visited the LSE Law Department

a few years ago, he proudly showed me his new

RIGHTS AND RIP-OFFS


likely to be a criminal offence now under the Unfair

Commercial Practices Regulations 2008. Niklaus

received my information philosophically, saying that

he liked the jacket anyway.

But if I had been able to show him that he could

have purchased an identical jacket for a lower price at

a nearby shop, would he have been so relaxed? Could

he have asked for his money back or a reduction in

the price he had paid? Every law graduate knows that

the complexity of the law of misrepresentation makes

anyone wary of predicting its effects. But where

there has been no false statement, merely misleading

advertising, the dauntingly complex, 19th-century

commercial law of misrepresentation is most unlikely

to provide a consumer with any kind of redress.

This is only one example of a systematic anomaly

in consumer law in the United Kingdom. Scams

and aggressive practices have been criminalised

by the updated 2008 regulations, but the victims

have often been left without a personal remedy for

compensation. The Law Commission has been tasked

with producing proposals for reform of this aspect

of the law. Its work follows up evidence from the

consumer watchdog Consumer Focus that suggested

that almost two-thirds of people had been the victim

of some kind of unfair commercial practice in the

previous two years, resulting in a total estimated loss

of £3.3 billion a year for UK citizens. This evidence

also drew on my own report that identifi ed the sorts

of cases where victims would be left without any

personal remedy for their losses. As well as the above

example of misleading, but truthful statements, many

other situations fall through the cracks of the civil law.

Some unscrupulous salesmen prey on the elderly

or infi rm. They make an appointment to pay a home

visit. They try to sell products such as adjustable beds,

claiming that they will relieve any health problems

that the victims disclose, and decline to leave the

house until the consumer has signed a contract

and a cheque for an amount that the victims can

scarcely afford. Some victims just hand over some

cash to get the salesmen out of their house. Under

the 2008 Regulations, this pressured sales technique

is a prohibited aggressive practice. But can the victims

cancel the contract and recover their money?

Under the common law, in the absence of threats,

the salesman’s conduct probably falls outside the

protections of the law of duress and undue infl uence.

Even if those laws permit the consumer to cancel

the contract and recover any payment, there is no

possibility of compensation for the distress and

inconvenience caused.

The internet creates plenty of opportunities for

crooks and the unscrupulous to mislead consumers

into parting with their money. Auction sites, such

as eBay, are vulnerable to the practice of “shilling”,

where the seller bids up the price in competition with

genuine buyers. Unless the seller has made a false

statement, the purchaser who has been duped into

paying a higher price may not have any grounds for

recovery. Price comparison websites may mislead

consumers, even though not deliberately, by failing

to identify the best deal available from a company,

so that consumers may discover subsequently that

they could have obtained a cheaper deal if they

had gone direct to the company. It is unlikely that

consumers would be able to obtain redress against

the price comparison website in such circumstances,

because they would need to satisfy the complicated

and uncertain requirements for recovery for pure

economic loss in tort.

Indeed, this complexity of the relevant law

governing civil claims for compensation is a major

part of the problem for consumers. Even if the

consumer has an arguable case for compensation,

when confronted with a blunt refusal to address

the matter by a company of dubious solvency,

the expense of hiring hot-shot lawyers to conduct

expensive litigation to recover a relatively small sum

of compensation is bound to deter even the most

belligerent consumer.

As I write, the LSE Law Department is planning to

host a workshop to examine the Law Commission’s

proposals for reform. The aim of the workshop is

to help to improve the proposals for reform of the

law, so that the victims of scams and aggressive sales

techniques will fi nally benefi t from effective remedies

for their losses and disappointments. Speakers from

the Law Department are to include Michael Bridge,

Charlie Webb, and myself.

As well as representatives from the Law Commission,

other consumer groups and stakeholders are also due

to attend. There is European-wide interest in this issue

since the European Parliament in 2010 called for all

countries to implement a private right of redress for

unfair commercial practices, so offi cials and scholars

from other member states will attend to share their

experiences and comment on the proposed reform. ■

Hugh Collins is professor of English law at LSE.

Scams and aggressive practices have been criminalised by the updated 2008 regulations, but the victims have often been left without a personal remedy for compensation

© DREAMSTIME


Welcome country

On a recent trip to what is now called the Republic of South Sudan Mareike Schomerus found a desperate need to believe in a better future. But will the fl edgling state deliver?

A banner welcoming visitors to the world’s

newest country greets passengers climbing

out of the plane at the airport of Juba, the

capital of South Sudan. When I last walked past the

banner to line up in the immigration queue in late

December 2010, there were still a few days to go until

the referendum. The Southern Sudanese were set to

decide whether to become independent or remain

one country with the national government seated in

the north of the country, in Khartoum. In those last

few days leading up to the polling, however, Southern

Sudan seemed to have made up its mind to become

a sovereign state. On top of the local minibus taxis,

oversized hands made from cardboard were waving

goodbye to Khartoum. Unsurprisingly, when the results

were announced a few weeks later, an overwhelming

98.83 per cent of the southerners who went to the

polls had voted for independence. Although there were

reports of rigging and forced voting, it was clear that the

Southern Sudanese wanted to leave Khartoum behind.

The decision on independence had been a long

time coming. Southerners often refer to this moment

as “a correction”: they think that Sudan should

have been split in two at independence in 1956 to

refl ect what they see as the distinct characters of

the two parts of the country. Instead, a bloody civil

war ensued between north and south and lasted,

with a brief respite in the 1970s, until the signing

of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The

referendum on independence was anchored in the

peace agreement, an ambitious undertaking in a

country with minimal to no infrastructure and a largely

illiterate population that had suffered tremendously

from decades of war violence. The international

community, while supportive of the referendum,

was cautious and concerned about the potential for

reignited violence between north and south after a

vote on secession. While many issues need to still

be solved, the vote for the 193rd country has been

greeted with enthusiasm – abroad and, naturally, in

the designated Republic of South Sudan.

When I asked southerners during the polling what

the future might look like, I often received the same

answer: “There will be a lot of dancing and a great

feast.” More important than a day or a week of

celebration, however, is the promise of development,

of being able to send their children to school, of

having access to hospitals and roads to walk on

without fear of being attacked by an army or a militia

group. Some people express deeply personal dreams

of how independence will make their lives better:

one woman explained that she lost all her children

in the war and has not been able to get pregnant

again. In an independent South Sudan she expects a

new hospital to allow her to have another child. The

hope that a new state will provide a better future

has many facets. People here have been waiting for

their situation to get better for a long time.

The fi rst years after the peace agreement in 2005 were

marked by challenges and very slow improvement, but

also by great enthusiasm for peace. Things took a turn for

the worse, however, in 2008 and 2009. Suddenly, more

people were dying again in local attacks and it was unclear

what caused the renewed violence. Peace was suddenly

conspicuously absent in everyday lives. The surge in local

violence was why Pact Sudan, a peace building NGO,

and the UK’s Department for International Development

(Dfi D) commissioned a team from LSE to research the

reasons for local violence. The fi ndings, published in the

report Southern Sudan at Odds with Itself: dynamics of

confl ict and predicaments of peace, suggest that the

tension between building a new state and controlling

violence without existing state structures had created a

vacuum. This remains one of many diffi culties that the

new sovereign nation will have to tackle.

Signifi cantly, many citizens of the nation felt only

a tenuous connection to a government that has

delivered limited improvement since the peace deal

was signed. People resorted to what they had known

during the war: to rely on violence for survival. The

fl edgling state structures provide limited rule of

law or justice procedures to stop violence. In the

new independent country, providing reliable state

structures and connecting to the citizens who have

voted the new country into existence will be the

government’s main challenge.

Yet it is not only the government that is important.

People living close to the new north-south border,

with minimal connection to the far-away government

structures of Juba, tend to organise their lives not with the

help of their government, but despite the government.

Few people in the marginal areas of South Sudan –

and the margin here is very large – expect change and

governance to come from Juba. For many, the state


An overwhelming 98.83 per cent of the southerners who went to the polls voted for independence

of the world

has been so conspicuously absent as an accountable

organising force that other governing mechanisms are

more important. These might be local institutions to

deal with crime, to mitigate disputes over land usage,

to administer water sources.

It will take a long time to effectively devolve South

Sudan from the central government, so it is necessary

to better understand how in reality people tackle the

challenges of their everyday lives. To make use of such

local structures for development policies requires a

deep understanding of how they work and whether

they are fair and of equal benefi t to all. The Justice and

Security Research Programme, a new international

research consortium at LSE, funded by DfID over the

next six years, aims to pursue this understanding.

The Republic of South Sudan will experience

growing pains; at best these will be addressed, bit by

bit, by the government. Whether the state functions

effectively or not, however, might not be the decisive

infl uence on the quality of everyday lives. The future,

it seems, could well be determined by local solutions.

These will be diverse, challenging and maybe quite

different from what visitors see when they arrive at

Juba Airport and are welcomed to and by the 193rd

country of the world. ■

Mareike Schomerus is a fellow in LSE’s Department of International Development and chief executive officer of the Justice and Security Research Programme at LSE.

© AOIFE McCULLOUGH

© M

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ORBIS

16 I LSE Connect I Summer 2011 I1616661616 IIIIIIIIIIII LSELSELSELSELSELSELSSSEEEEEELSEELSEEEE CoCCCoCCoCoCoCoonnennennennennenneenneeennnnn ctctctctctctcttctccc IIIIIIIII SumSumSumSumSumSumSumSummmSummmmmmmmmmummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmS mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmemmeeeererrrrmerrrerrerrerrmemmemmmmm 20220200002000200222020011111111 IIIIIIIIII

CHANGE OF DIRECTOR

post. My priorities will be to ensure that the School

gets back on an even keel. We must concentrate on

ensuring that students continue to get the fi rst-rate

teaching they deserve, staff continue to produce inter-

nationally recognised research, and our preparations

for the Research Excellence Framework run smoothly.

It is also important that the efforts being made to

improve the School’s estate, teaching facilities and

the general working environment do not slacken. And

then, of course, there are all the day-to-day activities

we pride ourselves on: our public events and our

engagement with different audiences around the

world, from policymakers to prospective students,

from alumni to fellow academics.

We need to remind ourselves that what has been lost

in all the noise of recent months is what a wonderful

and stimulating place LSE is. I was a student here back

in the 1960s, doing my BSc (Econ), an MPhil and fi nally

my PhD. In 1969 I joined the staff as the most junior of

lecturers and apart from two relatively short fl irtations

with Wye College and the University of Hull have

been here ever since. Much of this time was spent in

the Geography and Environment Department, which

I headed briefl y between 1996-98 before becoming

deputy director of the School from 1998-2004. This

was an interesting period, working with two very

different directors, which hopefully has given me a

good insight into what the coming year or so is likely

to bring. Since 2008 I have been director of both the

Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and

the Environment and of the ESRC Centre for Climate

Change Economics and Policy, working closely with

Nick Stern and a great team of researchers to further

develop the School’s policy-related research in this

critically important area.

Suffi ce to say, I hold huge affection for the School.

In my 40 years of involvement I have particularly

valued LSE’s engagement with the outside world. As

social scientists, LSE academics tackle some of the

most challenging issues of our time. In the last few

months alone, LSE academics have published research

on health expenditure, local government fi nance, the

music industry, teenagers and the internet, maps to

improve responses to disaster in Pakistan as well as

the carbon tax and European greenhouse emissions.

In early February, Professor Julian Le Grand, Richard

Titmuss Professor of Social Policy, was appointed to

lead a new taskforce to drive reform at the centre

of government.

I mention all of the above as they happened in February

and March, at a time when we were fully caught in the

Libyan whirlwind – and refl ect the quiet determination

to continue business as usual at the School.

Message from Judith Rees

It is with mixed feelings that I write to introduce

myself to you all as director of the School. I am

acutely aware of the responsibilities involved and

greatly appreciate all the support that has been

offered by so many colleagues.

I agreed to become interim director following the

resignation of Howard Davies in March, as the links

between LSE and Libya became headline news. These

links are now the subject of an inquiry under Lord Woolf

and I have no intention of pre-judging that – indeed,

at the time of writing I have no idea when Woolf will

report. We must await the report, absorb its fi ndings

and act on any recommendations in a

completely transparent way.

I simply wish at this stage to

say that the Libyan affair must

not obscure Howard’s many

achievements for the School.

Peter Sutherland, our chair of

Council, provides an overview

of Howard’s tenure at LSE (see

opposite). As he makes clear,

it has been an impressive eight

years, with success in the 2008

Research Assessment Exercise

matched by new developments in

teaching and the opening of our New

Academic Building. He is going to be

a hard act to follow.

We must now undertake the search

for a new director and, as I have already

made clear, I will not be applying for that


A tribute to Howard Davies from Peter Sutherland, chair of Council

We need to remind ourselves that what has been lost in all the noise of recent months is what a wonderful and stimulating place LSE is

On 11 March, the fi rst ranking of global universities

based on their reputation among senior academics

placed LSE 37th in the world and fi fth in the UK.

Compiled by the Times Higher Education, the rankings

were drawn from a survey of 13,000 academics from

131 countries. And although I share the cynicism of

most towards such league tables, recognition from

our academic peers is welcome.

Following in Howard’s footsteps, I will be writing

a small column in LSE Connect, bringing you more

news in December 2011 and then, probably, a fi nal

column in June 2012.

In the meantime, I wish to thank all my colleagues

and the many alumni who have written to me in

recent weeks. I am extremely grateful for the offers

of help, and really appreciate the expressions of

confi dence in my ability to ensure that the School will

W hen I took over as chair of LSE’s

Council from Lord Grabiner QC

in early 2008, Howard Davies

(pictured) had already been director for fi ve

years and the School was prospering.

On taking up his post in 2003, Howard had

both set in train and continued to develop a

number of initiatives, all of which now stand

LSE in good stead. In paying tribute to him I

would like not only to refer to these, but also

to his commitment and enthusiasm for LSE. His

resignation following criticism over LSE’s links

to Libya was made all the more painful by his

obvious enthusiasm – indeed he used the word

love – for the School. He will be sorely missed.

LSE lives and dies by the strength of its re-

search – and under Howard this has fl ourished.

Measurements of research – and its value – are

inevitably crude, but the School’s success in the

2008 Research Assessment Exercise does give

some indication of the vibrancy of research here.

The School achieved the highest percentage of

world-leading research of any university in the

country, topping or coming close to the top of a

number of rankings of research excellence. Two-

thirds of staff at LSE were found to work in de-

partments ranked in the top fi ve in the country,

and of these 26 per cent were found to work in

departments ranked fi rst in the country.

At the time Howard said that he was “thrilled

with our strong showing” – and he saw the

result as an impressive testimony to the quality

of academics at LSE.

Howard has also committed the School to ensur-

ing that teaching standards match the high quality

of its research. In 2008 the School announced the

results of its teaching taskforce, which comprised

academics from a range of subjects across the

School and made 40 recommendations.

As a result of the review, the School has in-

vested at least £3 million extra a year in teaching.

One of the outcomes is the highly innovative

LSE100 course – a course that introduces fi rst-year

undergraduates to the fundamental elements of

thinking like a social scientist, by exploring some

of the great intellectual debates of our time.

In the same year, the School announced that it

had raised £100 million after completing one of

the largest fundraising campaigns ever set by a

UK university. The Campaign received donations

from more than 90 countries across the world, and

included 22 gifts of £1 million or more. In total

there were more than 12,000 donors, of whom

10,300 were former students.

The year was crowned with the opening of

the New Academic Building by Her Majesty the

Queen, part of an estates strategy that continues

apace with plans for a new Students’ Centre.

But no account of Howard’s tenure would

be complete without recording the fl air and

humour he brought to so many occasions at LSE.

He spoke at and chaired numerous public events

here, always engaging with the speakers and,

above all, with students. In 2007 he found time

to chair the Man Booker prize and recorded the

experience in a blog – reading over 100 books

and noting with his usual eye for detail that

“even at a brisk 80 pages an hour, that represents

437 hours at the typeface”.

This is not the place or time to comment

on the events that brought about Howard’s

decision to resign. LSE’s links to Libya are now

the subject of the Woolf inquiry, and at the

time of writing it is not clear when this will

report. It is only appropriate to record that

Howard’s resignation was accepted very reluc-

tantly by myself and by the Council, and that

it is my view that history will be far kinder in

its judgment of Howard than Howard himself

has been. ■

rise above the current diffi culties; I will do everything I

can to ensure that such confi dence is justifi ed. Above

all, I wish to reassure you that LSE academics will

continue to engage with the world in thoughtful and

productive ways. Our Fabian founders established the

School over one hundred years ago to bring academic

expertise to bear on the problems of society and in

1922 we adopted as our motto the phrase rerum

cognoscere causas – to know the causes of things.

We intend to continue this great tradition. ■


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OPINION

THE BEAUTY OF MATHS

Mathematics is, at its heart, the study of

patterns, structure and regularity. As

such, it has long been the central tool in

understanding, organising and making sense of data.

Now, in a world in which we confront the “information

glut”, it is increasingly important to extract useful

information from huge sets of data. To do this, a large

area of research is fast developing, called “machine

learning” – an area that is proving hugely useful, as

well as fascinating in its own right.

In medicine, for example, automated techniques to aid

diagnosis and predict prognoses, based on experience,

will be of great use to doctors – and their patients. In

engineering applications, we want computers to perform

cognitive-type tasks such as recognition of handwritten

letters or digits, or facial recognition. For security or

fraud-detection applications, systematic detection of

anomalous behaviour will be increasingly useful. And

we want better spam fi lters that will, on the basis of

experience (such as a record of users blocking particular

messages), recognise and reject junk email.

At their core, all these problems involve some or

all of the following generic tasks:

• Classifi cation of data into two or more types or

classes, using as a guide the known classifi cations

of some previous data.

• Clustering of data into “similar” groups.

• Detection of “unusual” data: that is, outliers.

Given the commonalities between these (and other) ap-

plications, there is much to be gained from developing

general techniques for solving the generic tasks identifi ed.

Since many of the datasets from which we want to learn

or infer patterns are enormous, ad hoc techniques are

just not useful. What is needed are principled, provably

effective methods which are also effi cient, in the sense

that they can work quickly enough to be of practical use.

This is where machine learning comes in. It is a large

area of research activity involving mathematicians,

statisticians, computer scientists, engineers, and others,

working together to develop effi cient general procedures

(or algorithms), for tasks such as these. Many very general

machine learning paradigms have been developed. Some

have their roots in classical artifi cial intelligence, closely

related to mathematical logic. Others looked to biology

for inspiration: for example, there was a huge surge

of interest a couple of decades ago in artifi cial

neural networks. Popular methods include

support vector machines, decision

trees and (as has long been the

case) increasingly sophisticated

statistical methods.

In all of these develop-

ments, mathematical

analysis is essential.

Modelling learning

or pattern recogni-

tion tasks inevitably

involves the theory

of probability if

one is to be able

to say anything

useful. Analysing

the effectiveness

and effi ciency of

the algorithms

requires discrete

mathematics and

computational com-

plexity theory.

To date the most

successful approaches

have drawn together a variety of techniques and

ideas from a range of advanced mathematics, in-

cluding probability theory, combinatorics, geometry

and algebra. Although it is interesting to know that

the mathematical work might inform or provide

theoretical underpinning for the development of

general learning algorithms, which may then be

potentially useful in real-world applications, that

is not the primary motivation for mathematicians.

What really fi res mathematicians is that the problems

that arise are very often interesting in their own right.

In seeking to solve them, we can appreciate what

Bertrand Russell described as the “stern perfection”

of mathematics. Like much university research, this

work is theoretical, but (as Kurt Lewin and others have

said) there is nothing so practical as a good theory. ■

Martin Anthony is a professor of mathematics at LSE.

“Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty – a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture…” BERTRAND RUSSELL

RIGHT: THREE LAYER FERMAT SPIRAL

20 I LSE Connect I Winter 2010 I

LSE has a long tradition of innovative research on the fi rst world war. An international approach can shed new light, according to David Stevenson and Heather Jones. Joanna Bale fi nds out more.

As we near the fi rst world war’s centenary, it

has been reported that the last veteran has

died, so none survive to share their memories

of the horrors of a confl ict that saw more than nine

million military deaths. Yet the events of 1914 to

1918 remain a powerful drama that continues to

inspire and perplex historians.

One of the key infl uences underpinning much of the

research on the Great War in the last 40 years is a

pioneering inaugural lecture at LSE by James Joll. He

argued that if one is to understand the minds of the

statesmen whose decisions brought about that war, it

is necessary fi rst to understand the basic assumptions

on which they based those decisions. His 1968 lecture,

“1914: the unspoken assumptions”, which marked

Joll’s arrival from Oxford as Stevenson Professor of

International History at LSE, is still extensively cited.

LSE is widely regarded as the leading centre in

Europe for the study of international history and one

of the most important for fi rst world war studies.

The National Archives in Kew, as well as archives at

the Imperial War Museum and King’s College, are

nearby. The School attracts some of the world’s most

eminent international history scholars, including

Niall Ferguson, visiting professor from Harvard, who

published the critically acclaimed The Pity of War:

explaining World War One in 1998.

20 I LSE Connect I Winter 2010 I

Hold your event at LSEFrom small meeting rooms for eight, through to the 1,000 seat Peacock Theatre, LSE offers a wide choice of centrally located conference facilities, available to hire for events, meetings, lectures and larger conferences.

For further details or enquiries please contact LSE Event Services, Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 7087, email: [email protected] or web: lse.ac.uk/lseeventservices

ontact LSE Event Services, [email protected] or k

10% discount

for LSE

Alumni

LSE Language Centre provides a range of language programmes for students, academic staff, alumni and the general public. Over 2,000 people take a course with us every year. We offer:

English for Academic Purposes – foundation and pre-sessional programmes

English for Business – summer school and tailor-made programmes

Degree options in: French, German, Literature, Russian, Spanish and Mandarin

Certifi cate courses in: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish – including business options in selected languages

Tandem Learning – fi nd a buddy, exchange your languages, attend language events

If you would like further information, contact [email protected] or go to our website www.lse.ac.uk/languages

I Summer 2011 I LSE Connect I 21IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII SSSSSuSumSuSuSumSuSumSumSumSumuSuSuSuuSuumumumSumSumSumumSumummSSSSSumSumSumSSuSummummmSSSSSSSumSumSummmmmSSSSSSSSuuSuSuumSuSuummSSSSSuumuummmmSSSSSSuSumSSumSuSumuuuuSummmmmSSSSSSSumuuumSummmmmmSSSuuSuSuuummmSSSuuuumSSSuSuuuuumSuummmmSSuuuuuummmSuSuuuumumummmSSSSSSSSSuuuummmmSSSSSuuuuummmSuSSSSuuuummmmmmSSuuuuuummmmmmSSSSSuuuuummmmmmmmSSSuuuuuummmmmmmmmSSSSSSuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmSSuuuummmmmmmmmmmSuuuuuuuuummmmmmmermermmmermemermemmmmermemmemmeremeeemerereremermerrrmermemmmmmmemmeereeerrrerermermermmmmmmmmemmmmeemeerrrrmermermememmmmmeereeeeeeermerrmmmmmmmmmmmmereeeeeeeeeeemermermmmememmermmmmmmmmmermeeeeeereerrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmememeeeeeerrrermmmmmmmmmmmmmereeeeeeeerrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeerrmermerrmmmmmmmmmeeeeermerrmmmmmmeeeeermerrmmmmmmmmeeerrmmmeeeerrmemmeeeerrmermmmeeerrmermmmmeemmmeeeee 222020202202202020200000200020202020202020200020222022202020220020202222020202020222202000020200022000000022200002222000222202200002220111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII LLLLSLLSLSLSLSLSLSSSSSEEELSESELSELLSLSLSLSSSSEEESESEEEELSLSSSEEEELSELSEEEELSSSEEELSELSELSLSELSSSSEEESESELSLLLSSSEEEEESEESESELSLSSSEEEESELSSEEEESELSSESEELSSEELLLSEEELLSSESELSELSELLLSLLLLSEEEELSEESELSLSELLSLSSEELSLLSLLSLSSSELLSELLLSSSSE CoCoCoCoCCoCCoCoCoCoCoCoCoCoCoCCoCoCoCoCoCoCoCCCCoCoCCCCoCoCCCCCCoCCCCoCoCCoCoCooCooCoCCCCoCCCCoCoCCCooCoCCCCCCCooCCCooooooCCooooonnennennennennennennennennnnnennnnnnnennnnennenneennennennennennennennenneennennennennennnennnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneennnnnnnnnnnnennnnnnnnnenneeennnectctctcctctcctctctcttttctcttcttctccctcctttcctctctctctccctctcctctcctcctctcttccctct IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 2222222222222112112121222222111121122222211222222212121222222222212121222211222121111212222112222222222112222222222222222222222222222221222222222222222222222

Continuing the long tradition of innovative work in

the fi eld of fi rst world war studies at LSE, Professor

David Stevenson has carried out a comprehensive re-

examination of the fi nal year of the war, focusing on

the complex reasons why Germany and the Central

Powers wanted a ceasefi re in 1918, and why the

Allies and the US granted one. Drawing on seven sets

of country archives, the research is more international in

its approach than previous studies, and forms the basis

of a new book With our Backs to the Wall: victory and

defeat in 1918 (2011).

Professor Stevenson explains: “The research carried

out on 1918 tends to be surprisingly nationalistic,

focusing mainly on Britain or America. I look at both

sides, including all the Allied countries, so have used the

country archives of Austria, Germany, Britain, France,

Canada, the USA and Italy. I look at all the different

fronts, not just the Western Front, so the archival work

is more wide-ranging than in previous work on 1918.

“The book does not just examine the reasons why

the Germans and Austrians lost and sued for peace, but

also perhaps the more interesting question of why the

Allies and Americans agreed to it when they were on

the up. You have to understand the balance of military

advantage, but you also have to get behind it and look at

the political and economic factors that were infl uencing

the decision makers in October 1918.”

The book sheds new light on the importance of

economics, which has tended to be overshadowed by

political and military factors. Professor Stevenson says:

“One of the arguments in the book is that Germany

was not economically on its last legs in 1918 and could

have gone on for several months, so it was a political

decision for Germany to end the war.

“On the other side, one of the big puzzles is why the

Americans were so keen to end the war, and again, this

is new: the Americans were very worried about how

much the war was costing. This is clear once you get

into the American sources: it was far more expensive

than they had previously realised. That’s not the only

reason – there were also infl uential developments in

domestic US politics – but it’s one of the important

things that comes into play.”

Summer lectures and toursProfessor Stevenson and Dr Jones will both

be contributing to the Department of

International History’s inaugural summer

lecture and travel series this year. This

event will be a week-long programme of

lectures, using the department’s world-class

academics, and visits to sites linked to the

themes of the lectures. On the day devoted

to the world wars, Professor Stevenson will

talk about Britain’s role in the confl icts and

Dr Jones will discuss the home front, before

accompanying the subsequent visit to the

Imperial War Museum. Other highlights

include Professor Alan Sked speaking on

the Anglo-American relationship, ahead

of a tour of the Houses of Parliament,

and Professor Dominic Lieven detailing

the struggle against Napoleon, followed

by a boat trip to Greenwich and the

National Maritime Museum. This series

will run from Monday 11 until Sunday 17

July. For more details on these events and

booking information, please visit: lse.ac.uk/

internationalHistory/travel/homeTravel.aspx

The book argues that it is crucial to look at what was

going on behind the scenes on all sides to really un-

derstand why the Great War ended in 1918. Professor

Stevenson concludes: “The argument is that if you

are trying to understand why the war ended, you

need to look at the tensions and confl icts between

the victors, as well as the factors that infl uenced the

defeated countries.”

The importance of an international approach to

understanding events in the fi rst world war is also

explored in another new LSE book, published this year

by Dr Heather Jones. It is the fi rst comparative study of

violence against British, French and German prisoners

of war and how this fuelled propaganda and reprisals.

Dr Jones explains: “Instead of being sent to home

front camps, increasing numbers of prisoners were

used as forced labour on the Western Front, working

for the British, French and German armies. This is the

fi rst book to show the scale of this and how stories told

by repatriated or exchanged prisoners were used to

create propaganda to infl uence enemy governments.

“There’s no book on German prisoners in Britain or

France, so I was really working from scratch on these

topics. There are a few books and articles on prisoners in

Germany, but because they weren’t comparative, there

was no way of knowing what motivated the Germans.

“My book shows that in 1916 the French were

treating German prisoners really badly on the battlefi eld

at Verdun, using them as forced labour in poor

conditions. That was why the decision was made by

the Germans to put Allied prisoners behind the lines in

1917 as a reciprocal action. Comparison really shows

how and why Germany was ultimately prepared to

make much more ruthless decisions to use prisoners

as forced labour than Britain and France.”

Professor Stevenson and Dr Jones will be taking part in

an International History Department summer programme

in July, speaking at the Imperial War Museum, London,

on the experiences of ordinary people in the capital. ■

The research carried out on 1918 tends to be surprisingly nationalistic, focusing mainly on Britain or America

David Stevenson is a professor of

international history at LSE. His book,

With our Backs to the Wall: victory and

defeat in 1918, is published by Penguin

in the UK and by Harvard University

Press in the US (May 2011).

Heather Jones is a lecturer in international

history at LSE. Dr Jones’s book, Violence

against Prisoners of War in the First

World War: Britain, France and Germany

1914-1920, is published by Cambridge

University Press (June 2011).

Joanna Bale is a senior press offi cer at LSE.

© D

REA

MST

IME


HIGH

There’s much more to student life at LSE than academic study, as Jess Winterstein found out when she talked to LSE Connect readers about society life on campus.

To gain an insight into the student body at

LSE one need look no further than the many

societies operating on campus, the range of

which refl ect not only the School’s international

reputation but also the diverse range of interests of

its student body.

Societies operate under the auspices of the

Students’ Union (SU), which has had a dynamic

and active life since its foundation in 1897. LSE’s

oldest student society is the Grimshaw International

Relations Club, founded in 1923, but it was after

the fi rst world war that the range of societies was

expanded by the Union with the support of the then

director, William Beveridge. Today, the student body

is as active as ever, with over 220 societies catering

for a wide range of interests, from the political to

the cultural, artistic, academic or career-focused.

With society stalls visible on Houghton Street

throughout term, one need only visit campus to

see how prominent the social aspect of life at the

School is. Manuel Stotz (BSc Economics 2008), who

joined many societies and was one of the founders

of the Alternative Investment Society, recalls: “LSE

sounded absolutely perfect from an academic stance,

but I didn’t know much about campus life. It was a

pleasant surprise to fi nd that societies play such an

integral part of student life.”

As the student body changes each year, so

do its societies. While some have history – the

Mountaineering Club, for example, which was formed

in 1945 on the School’s return to London from

wartime Cambridge – others are newer, but no less

popular. The Finance Society, established in 2002,

for example, now boasts around 3,000 members,

around a third of LSE’s student body. But whether

formed decades or years ago, what they all have in

common is enthusiasm and commitment. All of those

who spoke to LSE Connect were uniformly passionate

about their chosen activities.

For many, societies are a good way to meet like-

minded people, and it is clear from talking to past

students that the friendships made during this time

can be deep and lasting. “The Mountaineering Club

was very central to our life at LSE,” recalls Denis

Greenald (BSc Government 1950), who joined the

society as a fresher and was actively involved for ten

years. “Ours was the fi rst ‘Club’ marriage in 1950

[to Gwen (née Guntrip, BA Sociology 1951, MA

Sociology 1954, Certifi cate in Mental Health 1955),

another member of the society], and the friendships

we made then have survived down the years.”

“I was persuaded to run for LSESU Social Secretary

by the head of the Democratic Socialist Group,”

remembers Fiona MacDonald (BSc Social Policy 1991).

“We all won our posts, and have spent the last 20

years being friends.”

Rex Walford (BSc Econ 1955), who joined the

Student Christian Movement (SCM) in 1952, echoes

this sentiment. “Working in the SCM brought lots of

opportunities to meet students from other London

colleges on working groups and committees... I was

glad to be part of those times.”

Taking on an active role within a society is also

an ideal way to build on old skills and take on new

responsibilities. One need only look at the range

of activities offered by societies to see the level of

professionalism and inventiveness on offer. From

hosting lectures with high-profile speakers to

organising visits abroad, those in committee roles

are able to shape the activities of their society and

take on new challenges. Running a society can be

time-consuming, as alumnus Jack Maddox (BSc

Econ 1957) who was a member of the Jazz Society,

attests: “Naturally the demands of music and study

sometimes clashed and discipline was necessary to

keep the two together.”

Despite this, there is no shortage of students

willing to step up and take on this additional work.

Current undergraduate Geoffrey Chung, president

of the Finance Society 2009-10, highlights the

professionalism some societies operate under. “We

have a clear organisational structure and fi ve divisions

that cater to the different needs of our members,”

he said. “We also produce an online journal and

magazine, and organised 75 events in last year’s

Michaelmas Term alone.”

Beryl Carlyle (BA History 1949), refl ects on her

time as secretary for the History Society: “All this

must have helped me in my career as an assistant

principal and later principal in the Colonial Offi ce [as

well as] when I was involved in offi cial entertaining

before Nigerian Independence in 1960.”

“I know for sure that my life after Timeless! is going

to be much better than it was before,” writes Siddharth

Viswanath, an undergraduate economics student and


FASHION SHOW

producer of this year’s global charity show. “I’m far more

organised now, I understand the merits of planning

much better, and hopefully this will show in my work!”

Charity plays an important role in society life – last

year’s Timeless! raised over £10,000 for its two chosen

charities. The annual Raising and Giving (RAG) week

is one of the biggest weeks in the LSESU calendar,

but events are run throughout the year in support of

a variety of different causes and fundraising remains

a key priority for many. Fiona MacDonald recalls the

time they took the Tequila Society to the University of

London Union to throw “the most successful charity

event that ULU had ever seen, with thousands of

pounds raised for charity.”

Former chairman of the United Nations Society

Peter Smith (BA Sociology 1960) also highlights the

charitable aspect, remembering the society as being

“instrumental in setting up the LSE War on Want

Society at the School, whereby once a week we had

bread and water for lunch, with donations going to

the main War on Want charity.”

It is clear that many retain a huge affection for their

societies long after graduation, and one testament

to how well LSE’s SU societies manage their business

is the fact that many alumni remain connected long

after graduating from the School. From speaking at

events to providing advice to current students, they

continue to give their time and lend their experience

where possible to their old societies.

Denis Greenald recalls: “The [Mountaineering] club

fl ourished during the next two decades, with meets

in the European Alps and Norway. Expeditions also

took place to the greater ranges, the Karakorum in

1956 and the Peruvian Andes in 1963. Veterans of

these years were able to meet with current members

at the 21st anniversary of the Club in the Lake District

in 1966, and again at the LSE Jubilee in 1995.”

Since his graduation, Manuel Stotz has also stayed

involved. He tells me he has spoken at the last two

Alternative Investment conferences, adding: “I’m not

the only one who has maintained links – there are

six or seven other alumni who are also interested.”

This connection is extremely valuable to current

students. Michael Lok, president of the Hong Kong

Public Affairs and Social Service Society for 2009-10,

who graduates in Law this summer, said: “Something

we experimented with was to build up a relationship

with the Alumni Group of Hong Kong. I believe that

this relationship between the current and the past

has been extremely helpful, both in terms of getting

advice on progressing forward as well as providing

more opportunities for our members.”

A common thread with all those who shared their

refl ections with LSE Connect is that the friendships

made and experiences gained have continued to

enrich people in their careers and personal lives.

“I joined the SCM largely by accident”, says Rex

Walford. “Joining was one of those chance events

which, when one looks back, seem to be a key

moment in determining the pattern of the future.”

Siddharth Viswanath echoes these sentiments: “I

really don’t want to leave now. I’ve met some in-

credible and inspirational people throughout this

process. Not just the kind who amaze you with their

intelligence but the kind who are so passionate and

creative that they really force you to improve yourself

in spheres that you would never associate with LSE.”

“Being involved in societies really helped develop

my confi dence and was extremely educational for

me,” agrees Fiona MacDonald. “It solidifi ed my LSE

experience, and made me a proud and engaged

alumna.” ■

Jess Winterstein is deputy head of press at LSE.

Thanks to all those alumni who got in touch to

share their experiences of student society life.

Since this article was written, we learned with

great sadness that Rex Walford has died (see

www.alumni.lse.ac.ukwww.alumni.lse.ac.uk for a full obituary).


LSE CAMPUS NEW STUDENTS’ CENTRELAND REGISTRY BUILDING

Staff in LSE’s Estates Division have been working harder than ever to create the world-class campus that our students deserve, with a programme of improvements on both the large and small scale. Much focus has been on the high-profi le work needed to create world class facilities and buildings, including the forthcoming new Students’ Centre and recently purchased Land Registry Building.

New Students’ CentreFollowing a period of intensive design, which included consultation with the Students’ Union, Chaplaincy, Residences, Careers Services and the Estates Division, work on the new Students’ Centre is scheduled to start on site this May, with completion scheduled for 2013. Regular updates on the new Students’ Centre can be found at lse.ac.uk/intranet/students/newStudentsCentre/Home.aspx


A brighter faceThe School has also been working hard to improve the public face of its

campus in more general terms. The Portland Stone facades of Connaught

House, Columbia House and the East Building have all recently been cleaned,

while the entrance to the Old Building has been upgraded with feature

lighting and a donors’ board listing the names of prominent donors to the

School. Window boxes have been installed on Houghton Street and there

have been kerb build-outs adjacent to the George IV pub on campus – ideal

for the coming warm summer evenings.

Land Registry Building

TeachingTeaching accommodation continues to be a priority, and staff and

student satisfaction with these facilities has been steadily increasing

over the last four years. While the new buildings will provide

state-of-the-art accommodation for the Students’ Union and

various administrative and academic departments in the

future, Estates are constantly working to ensure that

departments are housed as appropriately

as possible. Recent additions to campus

include the installation of a Behavioural

Lab for the Department of Management in

the basement of Clement House, three self-

contained staff/visitor fl ats above the George

IV and the creation of new seminar rooms.

The £37.5 million Grade II

listed Land Registry Building,

purchased in October 2010,

is another major addition

to campus. Its purchase will

help the School continue

essential improvements at

the heart of the campus by

giving much needed space to

decant the buildings which need

redevelopment and refurbishment.

The Land Registry Building, which

requires little remodelling, will

be similar to the New Academic

Building, with academic and

research space on the upper fl oors

and teaching and social interactive

space lower down.


Cycle path to Africa

While studying Management at LSE, writes Merlin Matthews, I became Dr Bike, a Students’ Union society handed down through the generations, teaching people to fi x their bikes in exchange for beers on Friday evenings. I started off as “Nurse Bike”, complete with greasy lab coat, getting trained up by my predecessor. Bikes were, and still are, a great way to get around London; super fast, cheap and with no rushing for the last tube or walking to the bus.

Although my original plan was to do the “city

slicker thing” after graduating, LSE broad-

ened my horizons and I became interested

in a more alternative path. While I was supposed to

be revising for my fi nals, I was actually involved with

the fi rst anti-road protest “tree village” in Blackburn,

in the north of England, and with underground

Swampy, the environmental activist, in Exeter, in the

south west, along with some other lovely LSE folk. I

also recall marching against student fees, a current

topic once more. Suffi ce to say, my motivation for

studies was not super hot, although the jazz-playing

Max Steuer’s course on the Economics of Social Policy

was a notable exception.

A Haitian student who was a regular attendee of

Dr Bike approached me for some advice and help

about starting up a bike factory in Haiti as she had

seen the need for cheap, pollution-free transport

for the masses. I decided it was such a good idea

that I would like to help, having given up on the city

slicker career path.

I soon realised that millions of bicycles are thrown

away or left to rust in the UK, while millions of people

in developing countries such as Haiti are forced by

lack of transport to walk up to four hours per day,

to school, work or fetching water. The original idea

for my charity, Re~Cycle, was to get a fl ow of bikes

established in the UK, then spend most of my time in

Haiti running the workshop and doing other “social

work”. Over time, I realised that I would be of more

use to the Haitians and people in other countries

if I spent most of the time in the UK, fundraising,

sorting out the bikes, shipping them over and so on.

Getting off the ground as a charity turned out to

be a bit of a struggle as there is a catch-22 situation

of needing a track record to get funding. The fi rst

really big break came when Re~Cycle discovered

that a US charity, the Institute for Transportation

and Development Policy (ITDP), had been doing very

similar work in Haiti for ten years. As they were a

non-profi t organisation, we decided to work with

them and learn from their extensive experience. The

ITDP asked if we would like to send a container of our

bikes to South Africa, if they paid for the transporta-

tion, which gave us our track record. Re~Cycle and

ITDP then helped to set up an independent South

African charity, Afribike, which delivered Phase 1 of

their government’s nationwide bicycle programme,

Shova Kalulua (Pedal Easy) – setting up 11 workshops,

with a focus on the regions of KwaZulu Natal and

the Northwest Province.

Re~Cycle has so far sent 36,000 bikes, tools and

spare parts to all over Africa, where partner organi-

sations refurbish and distribute them. The different

partners have different focuses, from AIDS outreach

workers to training the end users.

In my earlier, scruffy days, I would occasionally

name-drop LSE for credibility for Re~Cycle, which I

have to say does actually work! In 2001 I did a year’s

study at the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) in

Bethnal Green, East London, set up by Lord Michael

Young, who also set up the Open University and the

Consumers’ Association. On the fi rst day, we sat in a

circle and the ice-breaker was two minutes to inter-

view the person sitting next to you. The man sitting

next to me had actually started Dr Bike at LSE – talk

about serendipity!

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that if I had

not attended LSE, I would not have ended up where

I am now. The charity has continued to be an LSE

thing, with our fi rst website built by an LSE friend

and the majority of current trustees being LSE people.

The charity is now looking for a trustee treasurer,

help with marketing and some high-profi le patrons,

as well as bike storage in London and people to

do sponsored bike rides. Any African organisations

that might like to run a bike project should also get

in touch. ■

Merlin Matthews (BSc Man-agement 1995) is founder of Re~Cycle, a charity which ships unwanted bikes to Africa and teaches local people mainte-nance skills (see www.re-cycle.org).

LSE & ME ALUMNI MAKING A DIFFERENCE


LSE ICONS ICONIC IMAGES FROM LSE ARCHIVESPICTURES FROM ALUMNI WELCOME

Beatrice Webb (1858-1943)Economist, socialist and reformer Beatrice Webb was a

co-founder of LSE. Her published and unpublished works,

including letters and diaries, will be available online this

summer as part of the Webbs on the Web project – see

article on page 32.

Photograph: Beatrice Webb c1875 LSE Archives/Imagelibrary 71, www.fl ickr.com/photos/lselibrary


LSE THANKYOU

Family’s challenging past inspires African leadership programme

FINAL FEW WEEKS for matched fundingFor the past three fi nancial years, the UK government’s Matched Funding Scheme has enabled the School to

match all gifts to the LSE Annual Fund at a ratio of 3:1 private to government funding. In its fi rst two years, the

scheme has resulted in over £500,000 of additional funding directed towards the Annual Fund, enabling the

fund to extend its impact across LSE’s campus and community.

The scheme comes to an end on 31 July 2011, meaning that alumni and friends have only a few weeks left to

make a donation to the Annual Fund which will benefi t from the 3:1 match. To ensure the greatest impact of

your donation, support the Annual Fund now. Visit lse.ac.uk/supportinglse/annualfund for further details.

Najma and Firoz Lalji

Alumnus Firoz Lalji (BSc Economics

1969) and his wife Najma have made

a generous donation to help a new

generation of African leaders develop

their skills through a new programme

for African leadership at LSE. Mr and

Mrs Lalji have made an initial gift

of almost £1 million through their

charitable foundation to establish

the Firoz and Najma Lalji Programme

in African Leadership. In addition,

once the programme is established,

they have agreed to make a second

donation of at least £1.6 million

towards bursaries and fi nal delivery.

Beginning at Easter 2012 and running

annually thereafter, the programme

will fully fund 30 highly skilled leaders

from across the African continent to

attend an intensive executive training

session in London which will draw

on the very best teaching in areas

such as management, government,

economics, accounting, development

and law from LSE and partner

universities around the world. From

2013, participants will be invited to

an annual forum in Africa to help

refresh their skills and form leadership

networks across the continent.

Mr and Mrs Lalji, who were forced

with their families to leave the brutal

dictatorship of 1970s Uganda, hope

that their gift will create a highly-

competitive programme that will bring

a new class of African leaders to the

world stage. They explained: “We

know some of the diffi culties that can

hold back talent from Africa and we

want to unleash and support the next

generation of leaders.”

Mr Lalji added: “One of my teachers

at LSE, Margaret Mead, told me and

my classmates to ‘never doubt that a

small group of committed people can

change the world. Indeed, it is the only

thing that ever has.’ I have remained

inspired by her words and it is bearing

this in mind that Najma and I make our

gift to LSE.”

The programme, which will run for at

least fi ve years initially, will focus on

boosting Africa’s place on the global

stage, helping its most dynamic and

emerging leaders fi nd the best in

mainstream policy and ideas from

around the world. It will become a vital

part of LSE’s African Initiative. This was

set up in 2009 to link African students

and teachers into worldwide research

networks and to improve international

understanding of contemporary Africa.

Professor Thandika Mkandawire,

who holds the fi rst Chair in African

Development at LSE and leads the

African Initiative, said: “This is not

just an extremely generous donation

but an extremely well thought-out

initiative which can transform the

relationship between African leaders

and their peers around the world. For

too long we have allowed Africa’s best

minds to be cut off from education

and training of the highest quality.”

APOLOGY for mapTo illustrate a news story on this

page in the December 2010 issue of

LSE Connect about the new Middle

East Centre at LSE, we used a small

stock image of a map of the region

without realising that, while Israel

was coloured in on the map, it was

not identifi ed in text. This oversight

was unfortunately not picked up

during the production process. I

would like to thank alumni who

have written in to point out this

error and apologise for any offence

caused by its publication. We have

updated the online version of LSE

Connect to remove the map.

I would also like to make clear

that the image did not come from

the Middle East Centre. It was

intended as a graphic device only

and does not refl ect the breadth

of the Centre’s research. The

Middle East Centre is developing

research and teaching on the

societies, economies, polities,

and international relations of the

region, which includes Arab states,

Iran, Israel, Turkey, Afghanistan

and Pakistan.

Claire Sanders, editor, LSE Connect

Burning Issues seriesThe Annual Fund and Cato Stonex

(BSc International Relations 1986) have

kindly funded a series of interactive

lectures which we have fi lmed in

the hope of distributing them to

broadcasters. The lectures – by

Professors Conor Gearty, Tim Allen and

Emily Jackson – took place in May. We

hope to bring you more news of this

exciting initiative in the next issue.


LSE ALUMNI

I LSE Connect I 29

lse.ac.uk/supportingLSE

A celebration of PHILANTHROPY

LSE professor honoured by new scholarship

John A Paulson funds European research

A new PhD scholarship in the

Department of Government has been

created thanks to a £50,000 gift from

Tim Frost (BSc Government 1987) and

Alison Rankin Frost (BA International

History 1985). The Ken Minogue PhD

Government Partnership Scholarship

will benefi t one PhD student over the

four-year period that it will take them

to complete their PhD at LSE.

The scholarship is named in honour

of emeritus professor Ken Minogue

(pictured), a long-serving member

of academic staff in Tim’s former

department at LSE. Professor

Minogue, an eminent political

scientist, began his relationship with

the School as an undergraduate

student in the Department of

Government in the 1950s.

As well as holding a number

of academic posts within the

department since this time, Professor

Minogue has also authored

numerous papers, essays and

books including, most recently,

The Servile Mind: how democracy

erodes the moral life, published in

2010. In 2003, he was awarded

the Australian Centenary Medal for

services to political science.

Tim Frost said: “Ken has been an

inspiration to generations of LSE alumni

and is part of the warp and woof of

LSE. We hope that the Ken Minogue

scholarship will help the School build on

his work and ensure our government

department continues to excel.”

In January 2011, John A Paulson,

founder of US-based investment

management fi rm Paulson & Co,

donated £2.5 million to endow the

John Paulson Chair in European

Political Economy within the School’s

European Institute, at the same time,

committing a further £250,000 for

an associated research programme

on Europe’s unique role in the post-

crisis fi nancial world.

The chair will be occupied by a

leading scholar who combines

expertise in fi nance, policy and

the European Union with the

reputation to speak to a global

audience. Among the areas of

research that the new post will

direct are the emerging European

Union arrangements of fi scal

re-stabilisation, fi nancial rescue

and economic governance and

the wider interplay between these,

the future of the euro, European

competitiveness, and the political

economy of European integration.

John Paulson founded Paulson

& Co in 1994 and the fi rm today

manages approximately $36 billion.

He received an MBA, with high

distinction as a Baker Scholar, from

Harvard Business School and

graduated summa cum laude in

Finance from New York University.

Mr Paulson serves on the Board of

Trustees of New York University and

the Spence School, and the Dean’s

Advisory Board of the Harvard

Business School.

Mr Paulson said: “I am honoured

to partner with LSE to support

critical research needed to ensure

a stable and enduring European

fi nancial system.”

Howard Davies, director of

LSE at the time the gift was

made, said: “Europe remains

the world’s largest trading bloc,

but faces serious challenges,

focused particularly on the future

of the euro. With gratitude to

Mr Paulson, this donation will

enable scholars to examine the

causes and consequences of the

crisis in a systematic and considered

way and pass their knowledge and

restructuring recommendations

on to decision-makers. LSE is the

ideal place to do this because of

the European Institute’s unique

strengths, London’s place as a

world fi nancial city and because

LSE combines global reach with

public and policy infl uence.”

On 1 February, LSE held a dinner for

the individuals and organisations who

have provided some of the School’s

most transformative and signifi cant

philanthropic support in celebration

of the launch of the School’s new

Benefactors’ Board.

The board, which is displayed in the

entrance of LSE’s Old Building, at

the heart of the School’s campus,

recognises the exceptional and far-

reaching support that those listed have

provided to the School over a number

of years. It serves as a physical and

permanent reminder of the impact

that philanthropic supporters have

made to the development of LSE, and

pays tribute to the strong tradition of

donors who have made signifi cant

contributions to the School.

Supporters from around the world

attended the dinner where they

were thanked by chairman Peter

Sutherland and the then director

Howard Davies for their generous

support to the School.

At the end of the evening, guests were

presented with individually personalised

plaques as further tokens of the

School’s appreciation. The plaques are

replicas of a window that was designed

and commissioned by School founder

George Bernard Shaw in 1910 to

commemorate the Fabian Society. The

window was loaned to the School by

the Webb Memorial Trust in 2006 and

is displayed in the Shaw Library.

Dinner guest Michael Peacock OBE

(BSc Economics 1952), who has

provided philanthropic support to

a number of projects at the School

over many years, said: “The event

was memorable and moving. I’m so

glad I was able to attend.”


LSE NEWS WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THE CAMPUS AND BEYOND

Academic esteem for LSE

LSE hosts fi rst LSE IdeasLab at Davos

LSE has been placed 37th in the

world and fi fth in the UK in the

fi rst ranking of global universities

based on their reputation

among senior academics.

The World Reputation Rankings,

compiled by the Times Higher

Education, surveyed more than

13,000 experienced academics from

131 countries. Compilers say it is the

most comprehensive assessment

of university reputations ever

carried out. While US universities

dominate, the UK is the second

highest-rated. LSE’s place is

signifi cantly higher than its position

in the annual THE World University

Rankings (86th).

Stuart Corbridge, pro-director for

research, said: “The esteem of hard-

headed academics with many years

experience in higher education is

not easily won, and I’m pleased that

our global reputation for research

and teaching is high. We have

long argued, and produced the

evidence to back our arguments,

that LSE does not perform well

in most world university rankings

– in part because the metrics

used in these rankings are more

appropriate for the natural sciences

than the social sciences. The fact

that we are almost 50 places

higher in this table than in the

THE World University Rankings

suggests that many academics

agree with this judgement.”

lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/

archives/2011/03/reputation.aspx

Nobel Prize winner to guest lecture at next Executive Summer School

the number of splendidly opinionated

alumni present. Each of the four

strands provoked much discussion,

questioning, disagreement and

laughter – it was a proper LSE occasion

and exactly what one would hope for

from an event like this.”

Oriana Bandiera concurs: “Having to

keep presentations short and to the

point fi tted together nicely within the

common theme of doing better with

less. It led to some very lively discussions

and allowed for a productive interaction

between academics.”

Howard Davies said: “By bringing

together experts in their fi eld and

providing a space for collaborative

work, the LSE IdeasLab aimed to

explore the new trends, technologies

and discoveries that will be key to

ensuring economic growth and

political stability. The event went

well, indeed perhaps better than

expected, with some saying that it

was among the best they had seen.”


archives/2011/01/ideasLab.aspx

Fifty-seven leaders from industry,

government and civil society joined

LSE academics at an interactive

session of the World Economic

Forum, Davos, earlier this year.

The LSE IdeasLab took the theme

“Doing better with less” and explored

four topics of global importance.

Howard Davies and Professors Nicholas

Stern, Nicholas Barr and Oriana

Bandiera presented their ideas on public

management, tackling climate change,

fi nancing education and incentives

and performance respectively. Amy

Gutmann, president of the University

of Pennsylvania, USA, and an alumna

of LSE, facilitated the event. Each

presentation took the form of 15 slides

which could only feature pictures and

last for a maximum of 20 seconds.

These were followed by a more lengthy

period of often animated debate.

Professor Barr, who began the

discussion about fi nancing education

with his presentation on tipping the

balance of public education spending

towards young people, recalls: “It was

a lively gathering, not least because of

LSE’s Executive Summer School

continues to go from strength to

strength in this fi ercely competitive

market. Now in its third year, the

programme offers a broad portfolio

of courses showcasing the research

expertise of our world class faculty

and will, this year, include guest

lectures by 2010 Nobel Prize winner

in Economics Professor Christopher

Pissarides (pictured). During

the week-long courses in June,

professionals have the opportunity

to see how serious academic

thinking can engage with real

world problems. LSE remains at the

forefront of educational innovation,

provocative debate and

intellectual engagement.

The Executive Summer

School presents a

perfect opportunity for

alumni to be an integral

part of this endeavour.

lse.ac.uk/study/summer

SchoolsexecutiveSummer

School/Home.aspx

LSE NEWS


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Sustainable City Awards highly commend LSE LSE has won two awards at the Sustainable City Awards 2011 for its New

Academic Building. The Sustainable City Awards recognise and reward UK

organisations for their outstanding achievements and innovation across all aspects

of sustainability. LSE entered in two categories, Sustainable Building and Resource

Conservation, and was presented with Highly Commended awards for both.

Julian Robinson, director of Estates, said: “It is an honour to be recognised

by the Sustainable City Awards as a leader in the fi eld. Sustainability was

a key consideration when building the New Academic Building and the

lessons learned from this project have enabled us to draw up a BREEAM

‘Outstanding’ brief for our forthcoming new Students’ Centre.”

lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/aroundLSE/2011/SustainableCityAwards.aspx

FloodMAPS project to improve disaster responseResearchers in Pakistan, led by Dr Sohaib Khan at Lahore University of Management

Science and funded by the International Growth Centre at LSE, have begun research

to develop mauza level maps that will help improve disaster responses in the area.

More than 2.5 million people were affected by the monsoon fl oods that

struck Pakistan last July, with uncertainty surrounding the location of affected

villages and the needs of the affected population hindering relief workers’

efforts to provide a coordinated and targeted response. Relief providers

experienced similar diffi culties in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck

Pakistan in 2005.

The “mauza” is the smallest administrative unit in the country (typically,

a collection of villages). Maps currently depict administrative boundaries

only until the level of “tehsil”, a larger administrative unit. As a result,

disaster response often targets the wrong people in the wrong regions. The

FloodMAPS project aims to improve disaster response in the future through

the development of a geo-referenced mauza level map of the country.

lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2011/02/IGCMaps.aspx

NEW link aims to further understanding of economic policy A new academic link between LSE

and the Institute for New Economic

Thinking has been launched. INET@LSE

will apply ideas from complexity social

science to improve the design and

effectiveness of economic policy. It will

also have a presence in central Europe

through extensive collaborative links

with Central European University (CEU)

in Budapest.

The fi nancial crisis highlighted the need

for a deeper understanding

of complex global markets and for

more effective policy tools. INET@LSE

seeks to further this understanding

through expanding the

applicability of complexity social science

to economics.

Based in LSE Global Governance,

INET@LSE will bring together a

management committee of senior

LSE faculty. “Now more than ever

we need innovative thinking for the

policy challenges the world faces,”

said Howard Davies. “LSE has

always pioneered new approaches

to the social sciences, and we are

delighted to be linking up with INET

and collaborating with CEU on this

important new initiative.”


archives/2011/01/INET.aspx

LSE’s Gender Institute fl ourishesLSE’s Gender Institute has grown so rapidly over the last fi ve years –

challenging the view that the fi eld is in decline in the UK – that it is now

the largest of its kind in Europe and has just become an autonomous

academic department.

Established in 1993, the institute is the only gender centre globally

that combines theory and practice with such an interdisciplinary

and global scope. A part of LSE’s Sociology department from 2003-

10, the decision was made to become independent due to a large

increase in student intake and because its research direction has

become steadily more interdisciplinary.

Clare Hemmings, the institute’s director, commented: “It’s a time

of enormous, forward-looking energy. We have trebled in terms of

student numbers and faculty, our research has become increasingly

global and inter-disciplinary in its approach and we have good, close

working relations with departments across LSE.”

lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2011/02/gender.aspx


LSE NEWS

STUDENT LIFE

Leo Wang, an MPA International Development student, describes his experience of society life on campus.

Each October, a deluge of new

students fl oods into the carnival that

is Fresher’s Fair, pouring between the

stalls littering the rooms and hallways

of Clement House. As a graduate

student entering the fi rst year of

the master of public administration

programme, I was no fresher.

However, the fair was truly beyond

my experience: hundreds of student

representatives clamoured and

jostled, competing for the attention

of wide-eyed new students hailing

from over 170 countries.

For me and many others, that

was our fi rst society experience

at LSE. Two weeks later, I found

myself president of one of the

largest organisations on campus,

my beloved LSE SU Economics

Society. This personal experience

is indicative of what distinguishes

student societies at LSE from those

at other universities. It is what

allowed a new, foreign student

to participate and be a leader in a

friendly and supportive environment.

It is this culture that allows for the

year-round frenetic levels of activity

that societies undertake – which in

turn are of immense value to fellow

students and the public. To give some

idea, our society has brought authors,

policymakers, government offi cials, and

CEOs to address our community, while

providing students with a chance to

publish research and multiple channels

for securing top jobs.

Societies also serve to hold the

undergraduate and graduate

communities together. At many

universities, individual graduate

programmes are reduced to satellites,

spinning in disparate orbits. This

disconnect is a tax on partnership and

the gains that would occur with more

frequent interaction. Typically, you fi nd

graduate students are welcomed on

campus during orientation but given

no real sustainable way to connect

with the greater community. Again,

my time here has been different.

Student societies have nurtured in me

a tangible sense of connection with

the School.

Lastly, I want to note that despite the

contribution that societies have made

on campus, I hope they will mature

further as well. The more prominent

student organisations can seem more

like corporations than societies. In

some ways, societies peddle lecture

after lecture, purvey endless career

events, and compete for corporate

sponsorships worth thousands of

pounds – all at the risk of ignoring

member needs and their role as social

vehicles for building community.

A waft of mission drift is now in the air.

Hopefully, our societies will be mindful

and balance their ambitious activity

with strong values. Hopefully, they

will be able to carry on the wonderful

legacy of student participation and

community-building here at LSE.

TRIUM celebrates its tenth anniversary

Innovative new course puts strategy back at the heart of public lifeA unique course to help future

leaders rediscover the lost art of

strategy has been announced by the

School, with the fi rst students to

start studying this September.

With only 15 places available,

LSE’s new course on Strategy in the

Age of Global Risk is aimed at high-

fl yers who deal with international

and military affairs, global business

and fi nance. It comes at a time when

leading politicians have warned of

an absence of strategic thinking. In

October, the Public Administration

Select Committee issued a report

entitled Who Does UK National

Strategy? which concluded: “We have

lost the culture of strategy-making.”

Taught by many of LSE’s leading

experts, with insight and expertise

lent by senior former diplomats and

government advisers, the course

takes a fresh look at the threats and

risks that could arise in the years

ahead, new techniques for providing

more robust assessments of them

and, above all, at the various

strategies and the techniques that

can be used to address them.


archives/2010/12/strategy.aspx

Webbs on the Web

Webbs on the Web is a Library

digital project that will allow

online access to the published

and unpublished works of LSE’s

founders, Sidney and Beatrice

Webb, opening up the work of the

Webbs to a wider audience. Beatrice

and Sidney Webb’s marriage and

working partnership covered 50

years of research, writing and campaigning and together they left a signifi cant

archive of work – both published and unpublished – which remains an essential

resource for researchers of social and political reform from the late 19th century to

the second world war. In 1973 the Library produced a bibliography Publications of

Sidney and Beatrice Webb: an interim check list including over 440 books, articles

and contributions to other works. Alongside the printed works are the letters and

diary which document their lives. The project will provide a single access point to all

these materials as well as an online gallery of photographs of the Webbs. Webbs

on the Web is funded by the Webb Memorial Trust and will launch this summer.

This year marks

the tenth

anniversary

of the TRIUM

Global Executive

MBA programme,

an alliance

of LSE, NYU

Stern School

of Business (NYU Stern) and HEC

School of Management, Paris (HEC

Paris). To celebrate, alumni from the

fi rst ten cohorts, alongside former

LSE director Howard Davies, NYU

dean Peter Blair Henry and dean

Bernard Ramanantsoa of HEC Paris,

will gather for a Global Alumni

Conference in Paris from 1-3 July.

TRIUM was developed by LSE,

NYU Stern and HEC Paris. The

Financial Times’ ranking of EMBA

programmes has consistently

ranked the TRIUM Global EMBA in

the top three of all Executive MBA

programmes worldwide.

www.triumemba.org

LSE NEWS

Two LSE staff

members were

recognised in the

New Year Honours

list 2011. Jane Pugh,

(pictured) governance offi cer in

LSE’s Planning and Corporate Policy

Division, received an MBE for services

to higher education. Professor

Helen Wallace, centennial professor

in the European Institute, was made

a Dame for services to social science.

Professor Luc

Bovens (pictured),

Department of

Philosophy, Logic and

Scientifi c Method, and

Professor Christian List, Department

of Government, have been elected

fellows of the Swedish Collegium for

Advanced Study in Uppsala.

Professor Charles Goodhart

(pictured) and Professor Oliver

LSE PEOPLE

DISCOUNTED RATES FOR LSE ALUMNI

The LSE-PKU Summer School in Beijing is a two-week programme offering intensive university level courses, each with a focus on China and/or Asia.

The programme attracts students and professionals from around the world and is taught in English by outstanding faculty from Peking University and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Courses offered will include study in:International Development; Economics; Management; International Relations; Government; Media; Law; Finance

For more information about the LSE-PKU Summer School and full details of the courses available please see www.lse.ac.uk/LSEPKUSummerSchool or email [email protected]

Linton, Financial

Markets Group,

have joined the lead

expert group for the

Government Offi ce for

Science’s Foresight project to explore

the future of computer generated

trading in fi nancial markets.

Dr Matteo

Barigozzi,

Department of

Statistics, was

jointly awarded

the Carlo Giannini Prize for the

best paper in macro-econometrics

or fi nancial econometrics,

written by young scientists.

Professor Sarah

Franklin, BIOS, was

awarded the 2011

Smith College Medal

for extraordinary

professional achievements and

outstanding service to the community.

Dr Ramachandra Guha, a historian

and biographer who is regularly

named one of India’s, and the

world’s, most infl uential intellectuals,

will succeed Professor Niall Ferguson

as holder of the Philippe Roman

Chair in history and international

affairs at LSE in 2011-12.

Professor John Hills,

Centre for Analysis of

Social Exclusion, has

been appointed by

energy and climate

change secretary Chris Huhne to

lead an independent review of the

fuel poverty target and defi nition.

Professor Julian

Le Grand, Richard

Titmuss Professor

of Social Policy, will

lead a new Mutuals

Taskforce to drive reform at the

centre of government, with the

prime minister’s backing.

Professor Elias

Mossialos, LSE

Health, has been

awarded the 2010

Andrija Stampar

Medal for distinguished services

to public health. He has also been

appointed to lead a task force to

reform the Greek health system.

Professor Renata Salecl, BIOS,

has been named Slovenian

Woman Scientist of the Year

for her book, Choice.

Professor Lord

Nicholas Stern,

Grantham Research

Institute on Climate

Change and the

Environment, was joint winner of the

2011 Leontief Prize for Advancing the

Frontiers of Economic Thought. He was

also awarded the BBVA Foundation

Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the

Climate Change category.

LSE NEWS


Research update Join the global debate at LSE

The third and fi nal issue of LSE Research is now online. Edited by eminent Newsweek journalist Stryker McGuire, LSE Research showcases and highlights School research and impact on world affairs. Read LSE Research at www.alumni.lse.ac.uk/research

UK carbon tax would not reduce European-wide greenhouse gasesThe introduction of a carbon tax would help the UK meet its greenhouse gas

target, but make no difference to emissions of greenhouse gases across Europe,

according to research by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change

and the Environment and the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy.

Combining Multiple Climate Policy Instruments: how not to do it, points out that

a Europe-wide cap on emissions under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme means

that the rest of Europe will continue to emit up to this “capped” level whatever

policy instruments are introduced at a national level.

lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2011/02/carbon_tax.aspx

Child protection must focus on the child, not on rules and targetsProfessor Eileen Munro, Department of Social Policy, has published the interim

report of the Munro Review, signalling a new approach on child protection

which focuses on helping children, rather than on the regulations, inspections

and procedures that have thrown the system out of balance. The report for the

Department for Education highlights the importance of having multi-agency

services based in the community, advises that experienced, more senior social

workers be kept on the front line so they can develop their skills and better

supervise more junior social workers, and stresses the need for refi nements to

be made to the management and inspection process.

lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2011/02/childprotection.aspx

BNP downplays “race card” to boost legitimacy The British National Party (BNP) has attempted to boost its legitimacy

by downplaying the issue of race, according to research from Daphne

Halikiopoulou, Department of Government, and Sofi a Vasilopoulou,

European Institute. The researchers analysed party manifestos from before

and after 1999 – when Nick Griffi n took over the party’s leadership and

began a reform agenda. They found that the BNP, whilst maintaining its

anti-immigration stance, has shifted its language from emphasising a

nationalism based on race to one based on British values and institutions.

lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2010/12/Bnp_modernisation.aspx

Global ranking shows Asian and Latin American cities fl ourishing post recession Asian and Latin American cities have topped a ranking of the best performing

metros in the world after the Great Recession. The Global MetroMonitor, a joint

report of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and LSE Cities, is the fi rst

analysis of international metropolitan economic performance before, during, and

after the Great Recession. Twenty-nine of the top 30 performing metros post-

recession (2009-10) are found to be outside the United States and Europe.

lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2010/11/

globalMetroMonitor.aspx

Impact of Labour policies on the NHSThe most comprehensive

overview of the health and

social care system in England

produced this century has found

that, while public expenditure

on health care in England more

than doubled between 1997

and 2010, the impact on health

system performance has been

mixed. The Health System in

Transition report on England by

Seán Boyle, LSE Health, fi nds

that although health expenditure

in cash terms more than doubled over this time, NHS productivity did not

increase. Health inequalities also worsened, even though the health of the

population overall has improved. The NHS did make substantial progress in

some areas, however, improving access to elective care and outcomes.

lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2011/03/NHSreport.aspx

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ANY QUESTIONS?

LSE LETTERS WE WELCOME LETTERS BY POST OR EMAIL

Please send correspondence to: Editor, LSE Connect, Press and Information Offi ce, LSE, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE. Email: [email protected]. The editor reserves the right to cut and edit letters.

ANY ANSWERS?

Middle East mapWe received several letters regarding the map we used to illustrate a

news story about the Middle East Centre in the winter 2010 issue of

LSE Connect. The use of this particular map (from an external stock

collection) was entirely inappropriate and we should have checked it

before including it. Please see page 28 for a full apology.

Crisis talk

SupermaxHaving read the article on Sharon

Shalev’s research into American

Supermax prisons (LSE Connect,

winter 2010), I think the results

should be sent to every congressman

in the USA and every MP in Canada,

since our prime minister is talking

about building them in Canada. A great magazine.

Vivian Heinmiller, mother of Peter Heinmiller (MSc Organisational and Social

Psychology 2007) Ontario, Canada

Bad match

More on mottoI agree the motto needs to be more succinct than the one suggested.

How about “rerum cognoscere causas et meliorem”?

Tony Taylor (Social Science and Administration 1949) Emeritus

professor of psychology, Victoria University of Wellington NZ

Unfi nished story of a paintingAt some point in the 1920s or 1930s Baron Alexander Felixovitch

von Meyendorff (1869-1964), a Russian émigré and reader in Russian

Institutions and Politics at LSE from 1922-34, gave a small painting to the

School of the Rialto Bridge in Venice, in the style of Canaletto (1697-

1768). During my time as a lecturer in sociology at the School (1958-

70) it hung on the left wall of the Staff Dining Room. According to the

inscription, Meyendorff donated it as a mark of his gratitude to Sidney

and Beatrice Webb for their support during his early years in England.

During the “troubles” of the late 1960s the painting disappeared. After

making enquiries, I have now learned that it was sold in a Christie’s Old

Master sale in 2006 at a hammer price of £17,000.

I am intrigued to know if anyone else remembers the painting. When it

disappeared, it was assumed that a protesting student had taken it. Does

anyone know the full story?

Gabriel Newfi eld (BSc Sociology 1955) St Albans, UK

I was interested in the article on

LSE football (‘Pitching it right’, LSE

Connect, winter 2010). I once played

for the LSE team when the School

was based in Cambridge – sometime

in the year 1942-43. I was picked

to play in goal against a team of

medical students.

Being social science students we

were allowed only one year of study

before being called up, so we were

young. Medical students could

undertake their full course, so they

were older than us. At least, that is

my explanation.

After I had let in the 10th goal the

captain made me play in an outfi eld

position, where I didn’t do much.

This was despite the fact that I was

becoming quite fi t doing required

military training with the Cambridge

University Senior Training Corps.

Unsurprisingly, I was not selected

again for the LSE football team.

Harold Pollins (BSc Economic

History 1949) Oxford, UK

So, according to Donald Last (Letters,

LSE Connect, winter 2010) it is not

the speculative moneylenders, nor

the huge concerns amassing their

billions and paying little or no tax, nor

the billionaire tax dodgers, nor the

cost of wars to safeguard American

oil supplies, or the billions spent on

useless nuclear weapons (no doubt to

“protect” market capitalism) that have

caused the debt.

Apparently it is the community looking

after all its members (usually referred

to as the Welfare State) that is the

culprit. It’s a point of view, I suppose.

Len Goldman (BSc Econ 1953)

Brighton, UK

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LSE ALUMNI NEWS FROM THE LSE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

MESSAGE FROM THE

Alumni Association chairWe Americans revere our fi rst president for many gifts to our country including establishing the precedent of two terms in offi ce. It is right to be following his example and stepping down as chair of the Alumni Association (AA) after my second term ends this September. It is time for new ideas and new initiatives.

UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS

The past four yearsI leave behind many valued

colleagues from the Executive

Committee (EC) and from the

Offi ce of Development and Alumni

Relations (ODAR). It has been a

genuine pleasure to share the

work of the Executive Committee

over these four years with the

committed, thoughtful and hard-

working EC members who have

contributed so much to taking

the Alumni Association forward.

I would also especially like to

acknowledge my debt to the two

heads of ODAR under whom I

served, Fiona Kirk and Mary Blair,

and to Nat Holtham, Bill Abraham,

Sarah Savage, Shauna Honey

and most of all Charlotte Armah

of ODAR, who have been truly

indispensable to our efforts to build

the association.

Academic visitsIn an extensive survey of alumni

groups a few years ago, the

groups identifi ed visits from

academics as their leading request.

I am therefore particularly grateful

to Robin Hoggard, LSE director of

external relations, for establishing

a very successful programme of

faculty visits under which there

were 57 visits by faculty in 27

countries last year compared to only

a handful of visits a few years ago.

Pre-departure eventsI would also like to thank Cath

Baldwin, head of student recruitment

and admissions, for helping to

establish pre-departure events for

new LSE students as a key annual

event for our many alumni groups.

In 2010, 83 pre-departure parties

were held in 48 countries, setting

the new students off on not just

their careers at LSE, but hopefully

also a lifetime as active alumni.

International The AA now has more than 100,000

members. One of the great strengths

of LSE – its international student

body – also poses a communication

challenge for alumni. The continuing

development of Houghton Street

Online with features such as

webcasts, sometimes live, of

prominent LSE guest speakers,

alumni group sites and the latest

internet technology has been critical

to the success of our association.

The impact of LSEI came to LSE as a student from a

small town in the US. My memories

are enduring. I shared a cold-water

fl at with a Chinese student on

a government scholarship and

an Irishman who introduced

me to Fulham FC. I made

lasting friends, one of whom

introduced me to my wife.

Under Philip Windsor’s wise

guidance I studied strategic

studies, but also travelled across

Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

In my year, we closed Houghton

Street for a day when a driver

struck a student – I still

have the Evening

Standard edition with the headline

“LSE strikes again”.

Most of all, I immersed myself in

the swirling cauldron of ideas and

debate generated by a student

body from around the world and

a world-class faculty. I left LSE

more open-minded, more curious

and more rigorous. It has been a

privilege to be able to give a little

back these past few years to the

institution that changed my life.

George Davidson

(General Course 1971)

Chair, LSE Alumni Association

Reunions for the classes of 1990 to 1994 (8-9 July) and the classes of 1995 to

1999 (16-17 September) www.alumni.lse.ac.uk/reunions to book your place

PRE-DEPARTURE EVENTS Bringing together LSE offer holders with recent alumni and current students, organised by alumni groups around the world in June, July and August www.alumni.lse.ac.uk/events for more details

Join us for our informal networking drinks events, held near LSE on the fi rst

Wednesday of the month www.alumni.lse.ac.uk/events for more details

ALUMNI MONTHLY DRINKS

Reunions of 1990 toand the cla

1999 (1wwwac.ukbook

LSE REUNIONS 2011


LSE ALUMNI

Events and reunionsThe Alumni Relations team organises an extensive programme of events and reunions at the School, supports the events organised by the special interest groups (see page 42 for details), and works closely with our international groups on events around the world (see pages 38-41). Here are some highlights from the past academic year.

Alumni reunionsThe LSE reunions programme moves back a decade in 2011, with

reunions for alumni from the 1990s, as well as our biennial 50 Plus

reunion for alumni from 1961 and prior, which took place in May (full

reports in the next edition of LSE Connect).

Alumni lecture series

Christmas and Spring Concert receptions

For the second year, alumni were invited to a

special Christmas reception prior to the LSE

Choir and Orchestra Christmas Concert at

St Clement Danes Church. This year we were

delighted to also arrange a similar reception

prior to the counterpart Spring Concert,

which took place in late March and included

performances by the LSE choir and orchestra of

works by Handel, Sibelius and Tchaikovsky.

Above: Twins Frank and Ralph Land (both BSc Econ 1950) at the Spring Concert reception

Alumni monthly drinksOur informal networking drinks events have been running since early 2010,

and have proved to be great opportunities to relax over a midweek drink in

the company of other LSE alumni from all generations.

Events take place on the fi rst Wednesday of the month at a bar near the

School, and upcoming dates can be found at www.alumni.lse.ac.uk/events

or on the LSE Alumni Association page on Facebook.

Our fl agship series went from strength

to strength in 2010-11, kicking off

in October with a discussion entitled

“Why climate policy crashed in 2009,

and what to do about it”, chaired by

Dr Robert Falkner, senior lecturer in

international relations. The speakers

were Professor Gwyn Prins, director

of the LSE Mackinder Programme

for the Study of Long Wave Events

and Kate Hampton (BSc Geography

1995), director of the Special Project

on Climate Change at the Children’s

Investment Fund Foundation.

Howard Davies, then LSE director,

gave his annual lecture in February

entitled “Browne and after: will there

always be an LSE?”, and the academic

year was rounded off in June with

a debate assessing the UK coalition

government’s record after one year

in offi ce, organised jointly with the

new Civil Service, Government and

Public Policy Alumni Group. Events

in this series are always followed

by networking receptions, and are

advertised by email to all alumni in the

UK and on www.alumni.lse.ac.uk.

Classes of 1990-94 8-9 July 2011Highlights of the programme include

a relaxed social evening on Friday, the

Gala Dinner at the Waldorf on Saturday

and the opportunity to join tours of the

Houses of Parliament and Tate Modern.

On the intellectual side of things,

there will be a debate entitled “What’s

wrong with British politics?”, as well as

opportunities to tour the School and

hear about the development of the

new Students’ Centre. The class chairs

are Shami Chakrabarti (LLB 1991) and

Fiona MacDonald (BSc Social Policy and

Administration 1991).

Classes of 1995-9916-17 September 2011Alongside the social events and

School updates, the programme

will feature a session bringing the

best of LSE100, the innovative new

course that introduces fi rst year

undergraduates to the fundamental

elements of thinking like a social

scientist, a panel discussion on

women and leadership and

an alumni sports afternoon at

Berrylands. The class chairs are

Jonathan Black (BSc Government

1999) and Chris Cooper (BSc

Economics 1996).

© DREAMSTIME/SHIPPEE


SPOTLIGHT ON THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS OF...

GreeceThe Hellenic Alumni Association of

LSE was founded in the early 1990s,

and is now the largest university

alumni association in Greece and one

of the largest LSE groups worldwide.

The current committee was elected

in January 2010, and is chaired

by Athina Markomichelaki (MSc

European Studies 1998). We have

endeavoured to continue the

excellent work of the previous

committee, while also introducing

Latin America

ArgentinaLSE Alumni Association Argentina

was founded in 1996, and organises

regular speaker and networking

events in Buenos Aires, a recent

highlight of which was a lecture by

Professor Charles Goodhart, held

jointly with Universidad del CEMA.

Its chair is Pablo Trevisán (LLM 2001).

BrazilLSE Brazilian Alumni Association,

chaired by Rafael Alves de Almeida

(LLM 2004), organises regular events

in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and

is now formally setting up regional

chapters, the fi rst of which launched

was the celebration of its 25th

anniversary at the British Embassy.

MexicoThe LSE Mexican Alumni Association

was formally created in February

2011, and is steered by a committee

of alumni, chaired by Susana

Berruecos Garcia Travesi (MSc Public

Administration and Public Policy

1997, PhD Government 2010). The

association organised a popular

pre-departure event in Mexico City in

August 2010, and co-organised with

the LSE Department of Government

a high-profi le conference entitled

“Mexico Today: economic prospects

a series of informal gatherings,

which aim to develop a true sense of

community amongst alumni.

Social eventsOur fi rst event was the Spring Party

in May 2010, where about 100

alumni mingled and danced till late,

which was followed up with our fi rst

ever pre-departure event and lively

Christmas and New Year parties. Our

cultural offering has included a private

viewing of ART Athina, the largest art

exhibition in Athens, a theatre trip and

a wine tasting seminar.

Secret WednesdaysThe most beloved “baby” of the

association is Secret Wednesdays:

every fi rst Wednesday of the

month, we gather for drinks at an

interesting venue, but with the twist

that the venue isn’t announced

until the day before. This has

proven to be a huge success, with

over 80 attending each month.

Academic eventsEvents of academic interest have

not been neglected, though:

in November, Professor Kevin

Featherstone, Eleftherios Venizelos

Professor of Contemporary Greek

Studies and director of the LSE

Hellenic Observatory, participated

in a fascinating panel discussion

on Greek politics, with Professor

Anthony Makridimitris (LLM 1980)

from the University of Athens and

journalist Alexis Papahelas. The

event was kindly hosted by the

British Embassy and attracted a very

large turnout of alumni, including

ministers, MPs and members of the

business elite.

in Brasilia in January 2010, chaired

by Levi Nietvelt (MSc European

Political Economy 2004).

ChileThe oldest of the groups in Latin

America, the Chilean Alumni

Association was founded by

Pablo Halpern Montecino (MSc

International Relations 1974) on

the occasion of a visit to Chile by Dr

Anne Bohm OBE, who after retiring

as secretary of the graduate school

became LSE’s roving ambassador.

The group organises regular events

in Santiago, a highlight of which

and public security”, held at the

School in March 2011.

PeruRecent events for LSE alumni in Lima

have included a celebration to mark

the Nobel Prizes for LSE’s Professor

Christopher Pissarides and Peruvian

novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, and a

“fi sh and chips party” at the British

Ambassador’s residence.

A…B…C… and the futureBuilding on the success of pre-

departure events, the Alumni

Association supported group leaders

Santiago


LSE ALUMNI

New chaptersAs well as continuing our

programme in Athens, we have

also extended the activities

of the association to other

areas of the country, and have

recently launched new chapters

in Thessaloniki and Crete.

How to get involvedTo fi nd out all the latest news and

join our association, please see

www.lsealumni.gr or www.

facebook.com/hellenicalumnilse

Civil Service, Government and Public Policy

in Argentina, Brazil and Chile in the

organisation of three linked events,

which took place in Buenos Aires, Rio

de Janeiro and Santiago in September

2010 and were designed to link up

alumni activities in the region.

There are also now LSE alumni groups

or contacts in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa

Rica and Venezuela, with more on the

way – for all the latest, and to get in

touch with all our groups, please see

www.alumni.lse.ac.uk/groups

Lima

The Civil Service, Government and

Public Policy Alumni Group was

created in June 2010 and formally

launched in November.

Launch eventThe launch attracted over 150

London-based members, including

many senior alumni such as MPs,

Lords, permanent secretaries and

directors of public policy groups.

Speakers were Margaret Hodge (BSc

Government 1986), MP for Barking

and chair of the Public Accounts

Committee, and Jeremy Heywood

(MSc Economics 1986), permanent

secretary at No 10 Downing Street,

and the chair was Professor Paul

Kelly, head of the LSE Department of

Government. The formal part of the

evening was followed by a networking

reception, which included a speech

and toast to the group by Richard

Bacon (BSc Government 1986), MP for

South Norfolk.

Other eventsThe group organised two further

events during the academic year, the

fi rst of which was a speaker event

in February entitled “The end of

the English regions?”, featuring Sir

Bob Kerslake, permanent secretary,

Department of Communities and

Local Government, and chaired by

Tony Travers, director, LSE London.

Then in June, the group was pleased

to team up with the Alumni Lecture

Series (see page 37) for a joint

event assessing the UK coalition

government’s record after one

year in offi ce, which proved very

popular and was again followed by

networking drinks.

CommitteeThe group’s management committee

is chaired by Rosehanna Chowdhury

(LLB 2004, LLM 2005), policy

manager, Cabinet Offi ce. Members

include Jeremy Heywood, Margaret

Hodge and Kate Starkey (MSc

International Relations 2002), senior

policy adviser, Cabinet Offi ce.

Future plansAfter a very successful fi rst year, the

committee is planning its 2011-

12 programme of events, and

also exploring innovative ways to

further involve the group’s 1,000

members, such as strengthening

academic links with the School,

working with international

alumni groups and developing a

network of alumni contacts within

Government departments.

How to get involvedTo join the group, see www.alumni.

lse.ac.uk/groups or fi nd us on

LinkedIn.


LSE ALUMNI

International Alumni GroupsLSE has active alumni groups in many countries around the world, run by committees of dedicated volunteer leaders. To get involved with any of the groups included in this round-up, and for the full list of groups worldwide, please see www.alumni.lse.ac.uk/groups or search for the groups on LinkedIn and Facebook.

FRANCEA particular highlight of LSE France’s

year was a lunch event for recent

graduates, which featured guest

speaker Rosemary Banks (MSc

Industrial Relations and Personnel

Management 1985), New Zealand’s

new ambassador to France and

the OECD. Other speaker events

have included a dinner with Denis

MacShane, Labour MP and former

minister for Europe under Tony Blair,

and a panel discussion entitled “Iran

Nuclear Negotiations: a road to

nowhere”, organised and moderated

by Maty Nikkhou-O’Brien (MSc

International Relations 2009). On

the social side, Charles Savary (MSc

Regional and Urban Planning 2005)

organised and led an evening of

champagne tasting and jazz, to

celebrate the holiday season. The

president is Fiona MacDonald (BSc

Social Policy and Administration 1991).

GERMANYThe Annual Meeting 2010 took

place in October in Trier, Germany’s

oldest city. The business of the

AGM was complemented by a

lecture by Professor Wolfram Richter

(Research Student 1972-73) on the

fi nancing of health insurance, and

a cultural and social programme.

Other highlights from the past year

include two debates in Berlin, one

focusing on real estate and the

other on foundations, and the LSE

Future of Finance event in Frankfurt

in May, organised by the School

with the invaluable assistance of the

German Friends. The group’s board

is chaired by Margitta Wuelker-

Mirbach (Diploma in Economics

1984), and has a network of regional

coordinators around the country.

GREECESee page 38 for full details of recent

events in Greece.

HONG KONGIn March, the Friends of LSE in Hong

Kong held a formal dinner at the Royal

Hong Kong Yacht Club, with LSE

director Howard Davies as VIP speaker.

The event was a sell-out, and the

audience included many recent alumni

who had studied under Howard’s

directorship, a strong statement of

how popular he has always been

with students at the School. Justice

Robert Ribeiro (LLB 1971, LLM

1972 and LSE honorary fellow) was

invited to express his gratitude and

support on behalf of all alumni in

Hong Kong. The group is chaired by

Kenneth Lai (BSc Industrial Economics

1993, MSc Economics 1994).

INDIAThe LSE Alumni Association in Chennai

hosted an interactive panel event

with Professor Stuart Corbridge, LSE

pro-director, hosted at the residence of

the British deputy high commissioner

for South India. The debate topic was

“The political economy of development

of India: opportunities, challenges,

issues”, and Professor Corbridge was

joined on the panel by a number of

distinguished speakers. The association

has also organised a number of

informal events, and is chaired by

Vikas Chawla (MSc Management,

Organisations and Governance 2009).

There are also alumni groups in

Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata,

Mumbai and Pune.

NETHERLANDSThe Netherlands Alumni Association

organises regular events in Amsterdam,

and in April 2011 met in The Hague

with Dr Kirsten Ainley and current

students from the Department of

International Relations, who were on a

study trip to the International Criminal

Court. The group is steered by Robert

Van Schaik (MSc International Relations

1998), Ilja Boelaars (MSc Economics

2007) and Jeroen Broekema (MSc

Global Politics 2007).

RUSSIALSE Russia continued its series of social

and networking events in Moscow

throughout 2010-11, including linking

up with alumni groups of other

universities, and also held its fi rst ever

event in St Petersburg. The chair is Boris

Yarishevskiy (BSc Management 2008).

SINGAPOREThe LSE Alumni Association Singapore

kicked off 2011 with a “Lo Hei” lunch

to celebrate Chinese New Year, with

guest speaker Dr Kirsten Schulze

from the Department of International

History, who gave an insight into

the research she was on her way

to Indonesia to carry out. At the

AGM in March, Collin Tseng-Liu (BSc

Economics 1997) stepped down as

president, and members paid tribute

to him for his excellent work over

the last fi ve years. The group’s new

president is Garich Lim (MSc History of

International Relations 2003).

SPAINThe LSE Alumni Association Spain

kicked off 2011 with a New Year event

in Madrid, hosted by law fi rm Gomez-

Acebo & Pombo. Guest speaker was

Dr Razeen Sally (BSc Government 1987,

MSc International Relations 1988)

from the Department of International

Relations, who spoke on “The shift

to the East: Asia and the West after

the crisis”. The president of the group

is Adam Austerfi eld (MSc Political

Economy of Transition in Europe 1998).

SRI LANKALSE Alumni in Sri Lanka, chaired

by Gayashini Nanayakkara (MSc

ADMIS 2005), hosted a lunch event

AUSTRALIAThe recently formed LSE Australian

Alumni Group welcomed LSE

director Howard Davies and

Professor Judy Wajcman, head of

the Department of Sociology, for an

event on Sydney Harbour in January,

with 30 alumni in attendance. Co-

chairs are Amy Ravitz-Williams (BSc

Sociology 2002), Krish Patel (BSc

Management Sciences 1996) and

Lynn Elsey (MSc Geography 1987).

BELGIUMThe LSE Alumni Association Belgium’s

guest speaker at its New Year’s

Reception at the British Ambassador’s

residence was Kristalina Georgieva,

EU commissioner for international

cooperation, humanitarian aid and

crisis response, who had been a

research fellow at LSE in 1987-88.

Then, in March, the group organised

a debate on the European Parliament

featuring two members of the

European Parliament and Professor

Simon Hix (BSc Government and

History 1990, MSc Politics and

Government of Western Europe

1992) from the LSE Department of

Government, and moderated by

Michiel van Hulten (BSc Government

1990, MSc Public Policy and

Administration 1991). The group

is chaired by Lieven Brouwers (MSc

International Relations 2006).

BULGARIAEvents this year have included a mixer

with alumni from Cambridge, Harvard

and Oxford, hosted by Sebastian

Noethlichs (BSc Management 2005),

and a drinks event at Flannagans. The

group, chaired by Vassie Tchifi lionova

(MSc ADMIS 2002) has plans to

hold joint events with groups in

neighbouring countries.


in November 2010 with Janet Ford,

head of trade and investment at

the British High Commission, in the

panoramic setting of the Galle Face

Hotel in Colombo.

TURKEYThe Turkish Friends of LSE, chaired

by Sinan Arslaner (MSc Industrial

Relations and Personnel Management

1982), has established a programme

of monthly dinner and brunch events

in Istanbul, details of which can be

found at www.tfl se.com

UK – MIDLANDSRecent events have included visits

to Lichfi eld Cathedral and the

National Memorial Arboretum

at Alrewas, and a very successful

AGM and annual lecture by guest

speaker Jacqui Smith, former home

secretary and MP for Redditch.

Members recorded their gratitude

for the untiring work of the late

Barbara Savery (Certifi cate in Social

Policy and Administration 1955),

whose commitment was key to the

formation and subsequent success

of the group, as well as their thanks

to outgoing chair Terry Dillingham

(BSc Econ 1969). The new chair

is Brian Mitchell (LLM 1977), and

the honorary secretary is Margaret

Griffi ths (BA Geography 1965).

USAThe Alumni and Friends of the LSE

in the USA has many active chapters

throughout the country hosting a

diverse array of events, including

holiday parties, wine tastings, speaker

series and networking events,

often linking up with alumni from

other British universities and/or Ivy

League schools. Here is a selection of

highlights from the speaker series:

The Chicago chapter hosted a

lecture by economist David Hale

(MSc Economic History 1974),

followed by a wine tasting and charity

benefi t, and co-sponsored a speaker

event featuring Parag Khanna (PhD

Government 2010), director of the

Global Governance Initiative at the

New America Foundation.

The Denver chapter hosted two

speaker events, featuring retired

ambassador Marc Grossman (MSc

International Relations 1974) and

Dr Susan Solomon, a leading climate

scientist at the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration, and

also hosted a reception with LSE

faculty during the American Economic

Association’s Annual Meeting.

In New York, Professor Mary Kaldor,

co-director of the Centre for the Study

of Global Governance, has spoken

at two events, one of which also

featured special guest George Soros

(BSc Econ 1951), and the chapter also

hosted a reception for Professor Stuart

Corbridge, pro-director for research

and external relations.

The Washington DC chapter held

events featuring Professor Julian Le

Grand, Richard Titmuss professor of

social policy, and Dr Daniela Gressani

(MSc Economics 1981), vice president

for the Middle East and North Africa

region at the World Bank.

Other notable speakers have

included Professor Paul Willman

from the LSE Department of

Management in San Francisco,

barrister Gerard Forlin QC (LLB

1982, LLM 1984) in Los Angeles

and Robert Gilmer from the Federal

Reserve Bank of Dallas in Houston.

AFLSE is chaired by Beth

Halpern (MSc Public Policy and

Administration 1998), and has a

board of directors and an extensive

network of chapter leaders.

“Lo Hei” lunch in SingaporeNew Year event in Belgium

Howard Davies in Hong Kong


LSE ALUMNI

The LSE Alumni Association now has six main special interest groups, including two which launched during the academic year 2010-11. All the groups are free to join and open to all LSE alumni. For more details and to join a group, please see www.alumni.lse.ac.uk/groups; alternatively, search for the groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. Here’s a round-up of the groups’ recent activity.

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

Above left: Mrs Justice Dobbs addresses the Lawyers’ Alumni Group Annual Dinner

Above right: David Rowan displays the iPad version of Wired to Media Group members

Banking and fi nanceThe Banking and Finance Alumni

Group held its offi cial launch in

February 2011, at a reception in the

Grabiner Suite on the eighth fl oor of

the New Academic Building. The event

followed the LSE Director’s Dialogue

featuring Carsten Kengeter (MSc

International Accounting and Finance

1992), CEO, UBS Investment Bank.

The reception itself was attended by

over 70 alumni from all generations,

who heard speeches from LSE

director Howard Davies and the chair

of the group, Soumya Gupta (MSc

Economics 2008).

The group organises regular drinks in

the City, will be holding its fi rst annual

dinner at the School in late June, and

is planning a series of speaker and

networking events for 2011-12.

Civil Service, Government and Public Policy The Civil Service, Government and

Public Policy Alumni Group was

created in June 2010 and formally

launched in November. See page 39

for full details.

Crossfi reLSE Crossfi re is a group dedicated to

the exchange of ideas and powerful

debate, and members meet regularly

in London to hold discussions on

topical issues of contention. Events

in 2010-11 included a debate

about BP and its new regulatory

landscape and a speaker event on

doing business in emerging market

economies, featuring Dana Denis-

Smith (BSc International History

1999, MSc European Studies 2000),

managing director of Marker Global.

The group is chaired by Alberto Lidji

(MSc Management 2001).

LawThe Lawyers’ Alumni Group was

delighted to welcome Howard

Davies as guest speaker at its

summer 2010 networking event,

and the group followed this with

a popular London Legal Walk for

members later in the summer.

This year’s Annual Dinner was as

popular as ever, and guest speaker

The Hon Mrs Justice Dobbs, DBE (LLM

1977, PhD 1980) gave an extremely

interesting and entertaining speech,

drawing on her long experience at the

Bar and on the Bench. As usual, alumni

were joined by staff and prizewinning

students from the Department of Law,

and an update and vote of thanks was

given by head of department Professor

Martin Loughlin (LLB 1975).

The chair of the group is Gauri

Kasbekar-Shah (LLB 1999), and this

year the committee welcomed four

new committee members. The group

is currently exploring innovative ways

to internationalise its activities.

MediaThe LSE Media Group’s fi rst event

of the academic year featured David

Rowan, editor of Wired UK, and was

the most popular networking event the

group has ever organised. David shared

his experiences of creating a clickable,

swipeable magazine, with fascinating

insights on the economics, technology

and design which lie behind the new

iPad version of Wired.

In May, committee member Francesca

Valli (BSc Social Anthropology

1992) and Benedetta Brevini (MSc

Communications Regulation and

Policy 2007) produced a debate

on the way the media covers

environmental issues, including biases

and censorship in reporting, the

relationship between the media and

policymaking, and the role of the

media in mobilising public opinion.

The group is run by a committee

of alumni, and has strong links

with the Department of Media

and Communications.

Real estateThe LSE Global Real Estate Group

(GREG) continues to expand its

geographic reach, including the Sri

Lanka Investor’s Forum in Colombo in

late 2010, organised by GREG’s Asia

director Asanka Pathiraja (MA History

of International Relations 2006). The

forum introduced members from

around the world to the investment

potential of the Sri Lankan economy,

and included meetings with leading

fi nance and government fi gures. The

group is also planning events in New

Delhi and Shanghai.

Regular meetings continued at the

School, including “The rise of the real

estate secondary trade – a discussion

of the evolving secondary markets

in the UK and USA: transparency,

approach and opportunity” in

March, which featured speakers

from Invista Real Estate, Jones Lang

LaSalle and Landmark Partners, and

was chaired by GREG president

James Walton (MSc Real Estate

Economics and Finance 1999).


LSE ALUMNI

Class notesThis section allows alumni to share their latest news and achievements. If you would like to be included in a future issue, email [email protected].

Entries are listed by year of fi rst LSE degree received, with any additional degrees included in the entry. House style is to list simply BSc/MSc without the additional Econ.

1950

Denis Greenald (BSc Econ) and

Gwen (née Guntrip, BA Sociology

1951, MA Sociology 1954, Certifi cate

in Mental Health 1955) are happily

retired, splitting their time between

Chester and France. Denis is still

engaged intellectually, and interested

alumni can read his paper on

population entitled ‘Then, now and

the future’ on Houghton Street Online

via www.alumni.lse.ac.uk/news

1962

Archie Brown (BSc Econ), emeritus

professor of politics at

Oxford University and

emeritus fellow of St

Antony’s College, has

been awarded the 2010 W J M

Mackenzie Prize from the Political

Studies Association for the best

political science book of the year, The

Rise and Fall of Communism. Archie

also received the Diamond Jubilee

Award for Lifetime Achievement in

Political Studies.

1974

Marc Grossman (MSc

International Relations) was

appointed as the United States

special representative for

Afghanistan and Pakistan in February

2011. He served nearly 30 years as a

Foreign Service offi cer, retiring from

the Department of State and the role

of US under-secretary of state for

political affairs in 2005.

1983

Manuel Martín (research student in

Law), managing

partner of Gómez-

Acebo & Pombo, was

named European

Managing Partner of the Year by The

Lawyer at its European Awards 2010

ceremony in Berlin.

1985

Rakesh (Raj) Bhala (MSc

Economics) holds the Rice

Distinguished Professorship at the

University of Kansas School of Law.

He will also have his textbook,

Understanding Islamic Law (Shari’a)

published this year by LexisNexis.

1990

Mark Zinkula

(General Course) has

recently been

appointed as the new

chief executive offi cer

of Legal & General

Investment Management. Previously, he

was CEO at Legal & General Investment

Management America, after holding

the role of global head of fi xed income

at Aegon Asset Management.

1991

Daniel Israel (MSc European

Studies) was recently appointed

to the State Board of Education

for the 4th Congressional

District in the State of Georgia,

USA. Daniel heads Consumer

Mobile Product Management

and Strategy at Home Depot.

Matthew Riven (MSc Politics of the

World Economy) recently accepted a

position with the State of Vermont as

state budget director, having previously

held positions in Vermont and

Maryland state governments.

1992

Sam Stylianou (BSc Econometrics

and Mathematical Economics)

has recently joined CTPartners

as partner in its fi nancial services

practice. Sam was previously

based at Armstrong International,

having joined them in 1995.

2000

Carl ‘Chip’ Robertson (Diploma

in Business Studies) was recently

appointed as a member of the

board of directors of the University

of California, Hastings College of

the Law. He is currently a principal

at Warland Investments and was

previously an associate at Paul Hastings

LLP. Since 2006, he has served as

a trustee of the Hastings 1066

Foundation, currently as treasurer.

2002

Toby Lloyd (MSc Comparative

Politics) was recently appointed head

of policy by Shelter, the housing and

homelessness charity. He joins Shelter

from Navigant Consulting, where he

held the role of policy and strategy

lead within its public services division.

2003

Rowan Harvey (BSc Social

Anthropology) currently works as

policy and advocacy offi cer at the

child-centred development charity

Plan International (UK). She was

appointed a governor of the School

in 2007 and recently returned to

take part in the World Stage Student

and Alumni Lecture Series.

2004

Spyros Christou (BSc Sociology) is

the Greek Cypriot programme director

of the Cyprus 2015: Research and

Dialogue for a Sustainable Future

peacebuilding project in Cyprus (www.

Cyprus2015.org), which started in May

2009, supported by the United Nations

and the European Commission.

Philip Forsang Ndikum (LLM),

managing partner at Ndikum Law

Offi ces Limited, was recognised

by the World Bank Group for his

contribution towards their Investing

Across Borders 2010 initiative, a

report providing objective measures

of foreign direct investment

regulation and its implementation.

Charles Sizemore (MSc

Accounting and Finance) recently

launched a new premium investment

newsletter, The Sizemore Investment

Letter (www.sizemoreletter.com).

2005

Karim Kahatt (MSc Development

Management) has recently been

recognised as a top environmental

lawyer by British publication Chambers

UK. His fi rm, Kahatt Abogados, also

features as a top choice fi rm for

environmental matters in Peru.

2008

John Cockell (PhD International

Relations) currently works for the

United Nations, posted as a senior

planning adviser with the UN

Mission in Sudan. In July 2010 he

was awarded a UN21 Award for

contributions to the development

and implementation of the UN

Integrated Mission Planning Process.


LSE ALUMNI

RAPID RESUMÉ

NYU STERN | LSE | HEC PARISEUROPE +33 1 39 67 70 94 USA +1 212 998 0442TRIUMEMBA.ORG/LSE

IT’S NOT JUST AN EMBA, but a one-of-a-kind degree that addresses the global economic, social and political forces that shape today’s business challenges. TRIUM GLOBAL EXECUTIVE MBA, a top-ranked program formed by an alliance between NYU Stern School of Business, the London School of Economics and Political Science and HEC Paris, seamlessly blends global finance, geopolitical insight and management technique into one very advanced degree. An esteemed faculty and international cohort of peers compel you to dig deeper to realize your global potential in today’s competitive world of business.

Pavlina Marinova (TRIUM EMBA 2009) has worked for Orifl ame, one of the fastest growing cosmetics companies in the world, since 1995. She is currently vice president for integrated business management and strategy.

What prompted you to study for an EMBA?I can hardly imagine that a business

executive could be successful in

today’s very fast changing world

without regularly going back to

school to refresh his/her views, to

gain knowledge and to benchmark

with peers. Every three to fi ve

years of professional experience

should be complemented by some

sort of academic interaction and

professional knowledge upgrade.

In my particular case, I had had a

successful career with the same

employer for many years and I

felt the need to go outside, to get

external infl uence by studying for

an EMBA, to expose my views to

colleagues from other industries

and other world geographies,

and to benchmark our company’s

development against that of others.

What led you to choose TRIUM in particular?I took my time to choose the right

EMBA, factoring in some limitations

(time) and some preferences (global

exposure). In TRIUM, I found a very

attractive combination of schools

which complement each other

through their leading positions in

the main business domains, along

with the opportunity to study in

both developed and emerging

markets, and a peer group with

an excellent fi t to my level of

professional experience and business

maturity. In addition, the opportunity

to develop our entrepreneurship

skills through the fi nal thesis

was a very interesting feature.

What were the highlights of the time you spent at LSE?The TRIUM EMBA starts at LSE with

a module examining the global

socio-political environment in which

businesses operate: governmental

policies, international organisations,

global politics and various processes

in society have great infl uence

on companies’ decision making

and on business outcomes. The

TRIUM class of 2009 started the

LSE module in September 2007

when the world was at the top of

the bubble – the fi rst symptoms

of liquidity issues were there,

but very few people foresaw the

magnitude of the fi nancial and

economic correction which was

ahead of us. The time spent at LSE

gave me a great understanding

of world history over the last 50

years and its effects on recent and

current market development.

What are your plans for the future?My fi rst objective has been to use

the knowledge and experience from

TRIUM to support the development

of our company, and I was fortunate

to get an immediate chance to do

so. Shortly after graduation I was

asked to manage a very diffi cult

turnaround programme in one of

our most challenging markets, where

we had encountered external market

collapse and internal diffi culties.

The turnaround was completed

successfully and we were able in

a very short time to rebuild the

business fundamentals and to put

the company in this market on a very

fast growth track. As a result of this

development I have now been asked

by the group CEO to lead critical

central functions in the areas of

business integration and competitive

and corporate strategy.

Any advice for alumni wondering about the next career step?Waiting for a great idea is not a

good idea. Try to move forward

even if in small steps. Priority

number one is to stay as close to

the marketplace as possible. And

if the last time when you were

at school was more than fi ve

years ago, it is time to seriously

consider going back. Good luck!


LSE OBITUARIESThe School is sad to report the deaths of the following alumni and staff. Full obituaries, where available, can be accessed via the news pages of Houghton Street Online, www.alumni.lse.ac.uk

Andrews, Margaret Eileen Certifi cate in Social Science and Administration 1955, Certifi cate in Applied Social Studies 1961

Baker, Dorothea Guiatt BA International History 1943

Baric OBE, Professor Lorraine Florence PhD Anthropology 1956

Butler, His Honour Gerald Norman LLM 1952

Buyukdeniz, Dr Adnan Diploma in Economics 1981, MSc Economics 1982

Cardy, Malcolm Stuart BSc Economics 1966

Carter, Roy Laurence Jack BSc Econ 1958

Collins, Frank Edward Diploma in Business Administration 1962

Coope, Robin Arthur BSc Monetary Economics 1960, MSc Economics 1964

Crane, Kenneth William Raphael Diploma for Social Workers in Mental Health 1965

Professor Alan Milward (1935-2010)Alan Milward completed his PhD in Economic History

at the School in 1960 and rapidly became a leading

light in the subject, embarking on a career that included

spells at SOAS, Edinburgh, Stanford, Illinois, East Anglia,

UMIST and EUI. His impish bearded smile entranced

many a lecture and seminar, as he established his

primacy as the scholar of mid-twentieth century Europe.

He argued for a minimalist view of the effect of Marshall Aid (that annoyed

Americans) and demonstrated that the EEC was created to strengthen

nation states, not replace them (a perspective that impartially distressed

europhiles and eurosceptics). Fluent in multiple languages and steeped in

the relevant archives, he robustly supported his controversial but persuasive

reinterpretations, to the delight of his devoted graduate students and the

horror of superfi cial defenders of conventional wisdom. When he returned

to LSE as Professor of Economic History in 1986-96, seminars buzzed, and

he wrote his best book, The European Rescue of the Nation State (1993),

but colleagues soon learned that he did many things better than convening

a department. Elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1987, he published

the fi rst volume of the offi cial history of Britain’s relations with the EEC in

2002, but in retirement his fertile mind was cruelly erased by illness. He was

devotedly cared for by his second wife and academic colleague, Frances

Lynch. He is survived by Frances and three daughters.

Professor Leslie Hannah

Cviic, Christopher BSc Econ 1959

Dennis, Norman BSc Econ 1952

Edwards, Maurice Anthony BSc Accounting and Finance 1955

Eglin, Roger David BSc Economics 1962

Evans, Jeffrey William BSc Accounting and Finance 1986

Farley, Professor Rawle Egbert Griffi th PhD 1956

Frederic, Marie Paule Venise BSc Economics 1972

Frisby, Professor David BSc Economics 1965, PhD Sociology 1968, emeritus professor of sociology

Gander, Michael Charles BA History 1975

Gowan, Peter John MPhil Government 1981, MSc in Public Policy and Administration 1986

Guidi Jnr, Lawrence Francis MSc Accounting and Finance 1988

Hampton, Professor John Donald BSc Economics 1949, MSc Industrial Relations and Personnel Management 1964

Hayward, Kenneth Edwin BSc Economics, Mathematics and Econometrics 1962

Heycock, Thomasine Mary MSc Voluntary Sector Organisation 1992

Higgins, Dr James Peter Paul BSc Economics 1966

Holden, Peter James BSc Industry and Trade 1958

Inderst, Dr Georg MSc Econ 1989

Jacob, John Beaumont BSc Econ 1956, Occasional Student 1958

Johnson, Linda Sue MSc Sea-Use Law and Economics 1985

Jones, John Dudley Stuart BSc Econ 1973

Kellerman, Christopher Michael MSc International Relations 1968

Kerr, Anna Millior Diploma in Social Administration 1966, Diploma for Social Workers in Mental Health 1969

Kissi, Stephen Sefa Diploma in Social Administration 1964

Lambert CBE, David George Diploma in Social Administration 1963

Lambert, David Philip BSc Social Policy and Administration 1984

Lord, Alan Charles BSc Economics and Industrial Relations 1984

Luckham, Bryan Lewis George BSc Sociology 1961

Marcus, David Isaac LLB 1959

May, Professor Elizabeth PhD Economics 1930

McAllister, James PhD Economic History 1972

Meyer, Sandra MSc Econ 1960

Miller, Peter John BSc Geography 1957

Moollan, Rt Hon Sir Cassam Ismael LLB 1950

Morris, Christopher Alexander BSc Social Policy 1987

Motzkuhn, John Bryan BSc International Relations 1989

Newell, Roy Archibald MSc Analysis, Design and Management of Information 1980

Ogley, Roderick Clive Certifi cate in International Studies 1959

O’Keeffe, Andrew Philip LLB 1988

Pandit, Shrinivas D Diploma in Personnel Management 1971

Petty, Joy Ruth Georgina Diploma in Social Work Studies 1973

Prentice, Jennifer Anne MSc Politics of the World Economy 2009

Ramsden, Ian BSc Accounting and Finance 1979

Richardson, Thomas Ian Certifi cate in Social Science 1959

Snow, Alan John Certifi cate in Trade Union Studies 1958, BSc Government 1961

Stalwick, Professor Harvey Noell PhD Social Administration 1969

Talfourd Cook, Vivian BSc Economics 1964

Teague, Dr Alan John PhD Sociology 1988

Terry, Celia Helena Certifi cate in Social Science and Administration 1947

Walford, Dr Rex Ashley BSc Geography 1955

Walsh, Kevin James Francis BSc Economics 1969

Waters, Valerie Anne Diploma in Personnel Management 1976

Whitehead, Jeremy John BSc Econ 1960

Wight, Richard James MSc International Relations 1974

Willett, Lt Col Terry Charles PhD Sociology 1963

Wilson, Andrew Steven BSc Accounting and Finance 1984

Wiskeman Jr, Professor Richard Henry BSc Accounting and Finance 1980, PhD Accounting 1985

Woodhouse, Douglas Lionel Certifi cate in Social Science 1949, Certifi cate in Mental Health 1952

© A

ND

REA

S FR

IJDA

L


LSE BOOKS

FEATURED BOOK

A selection of recent books by LSE academics and alumni. For more information on books by LSE authors see lse.ac.uk. For books by alumni, and to let us know about books you have coming out, see the news section at Houghton Street Online.

LSE AUTHORS

Professor Conor Gearty’s The Rights’ Future

describes itself as “a collaborative web-publishing

project” and, accurate though that description

might be, it doesn’t really capture the nature –

and the excitement – that has characterised the

project since it began back in October 2010.

Then again, as someone who has taken part

in that project from its opening debate with

such luminaries as Professors Francesca Klug

and Costas Douzinas, and Tottenham MP David

Lammy, through to the concluding debate with

Tory MP David Davies, I have to say that it was

a project that almost defi ed description.

You could call it a book, as befi ts its status as

part of this year’s LSE Literary Festival – a book

in 20 parts, released weekly in a Dickensian

fashion – but a book whose contents emerged

through interaction with many and diverse

people around the world. You could call it a

blog – but the intellectual rigour with which

it was constructed, and the overall quality of

the responses to the threads, puts it quantum

levels above the vast mass of the blogosphere.

The reason it defi es description is that it is

something new – and on the basis of this

experience, I hope it is a sign of things to come. In

The Rights’ Future Gearty attempts to map out a

future for the whole human rights project – from

the principles that lie behind it and its history to

the role that it could and should play in the future,

including such things as relationships with religion

and the importance of the unions. The human

A sign of things to comeThe Rights’ FutureConor Gearty

therightsfuture.com

rights that he describes are essentially political and

radical – nothing wishy-washy here – and at times

controversial, most notably where Gearty challenges

the place of “peoples’ rights” in the human rights

sphere, something that met with some robust

challenges from the participators in the project.

The best thing about The Rights’ Future was the

process itself – for those of us involved it was

compelling, almost addictive at times. There was

a sense of anticipation both when Gearty’s weekly

posts came out every Monday morning and when

his replies to the many and varied responses made

their appearances. For me, it became part of my

routine. What’s more, Gearty was highly fl exible –

this wasn’t like a pre-written book being released

week by week, because it was clear from the way

that he wrote that he was adapting his work,

developing it, and even changing his stance based

on the responses provided. The style of writing was

also good – accessible and yet intellectual.

The few weaknesses of the project are closely

related to these strengths – unless you were

involved from the start, and prepared to commit

yourself to giving time and energy to the project,

it could be a bit intimidating and hard to get into.

The quality of Gearty’s writing was consistently

good – but though the general standard of

responses was very high, it wasn’t as consistent,

and occasionally went off on a tangent.

Overall, though, it was an excellent project

and something that I wish more academics

were brave enough to do. Professor Gearty put

himself out there to be shot down, and took

a few hits on the way – but he came out not

only unscathed but strengthened. I’m looking

forward to seeing where he takes this next.

Paul Bernal (MSc Human Rights 2006), PhD

candidate in Law at LSE

An Introduction to Animals and Political TheoryAlasdair Cochrane

Palgrave Macmillan, 176pp £60

h/b £19.99 p/b

How should political communities govern their

relations with animals? Are animals owed justice?

What might justice for animals involve? The author

examines the implications of utilitarianism, liberalism,

communitarianism, Marxism and feminism for issues

such as meat-eating, intensive agriculture, animal

experimentation, religious slaughter and hunting.

Population and Development: the demographic transitionTim Dyson

Zed Books, 272pp £70 h/b £16.99 p/b

This book addresses the central role of the

demographic transition in the creation of the

modern world. It considers how the major

processes involved in this transition have unfolded

during the modern era and examines the immense

– and often unrecognised – impact that these

processes have had on many key aspects of life.

The Governance of Climate Change: science, politics and ethicsEds: David Held, Marika Theros,

Angus Fane-Hervey

Polity Books, 256pp £55 h/b £15.99 p/b

This volume explores the intersection between

the science, politics, economics and ethics of

climate change. Some of the world’s foremost

commentators in their fi elds offer a critical new

approach to thinking about climate change, and

help express a common desire for a more equitable

society and a more sustainable way of life.

Why Stories Matter: the political grammar of feminist theoryClare Hemmings

Duke University Press, 288pp £15.99 p/b

The author examines the narratives that make up

feminist accounts of recent feminist history. She


LSE BOOKS

ALUMNI BOOKS but in the Muslim world, democratisation is no

longer possible without them.

International Trade and Investment Law: multilateral, regional and bilateral governanceRafael Leal-Arcas (PhD European Studies 2002),

Edward Elgar Publishing, 345pp £79.95 h/b

An examination of international trade and

investment law at various levels of governance,

including unilateral, bilateral, regional and

multilateral arrangements.

Emerging Market Real Estate Investment: investing in China, India, and BrazilDavid Lynn (MSc Management 1995, PhD

Management 2005) with others, John Wiley &

Sons, 236pp £42.50 h/b

Details an approach to commercial real estate

investment in emerging markets and illustrates

several strategies and analytical methods crucial to

successful investment.

A Still Untitled, Not Quite AutobiographyRon Moody (BSc Sociology

1953), JR Books Ltd, 256pp

£18.99 h/b

This book describes in frank and

fascinating detail the twists and turns of Ron Moody’s

career, the people he met, and the performances that

led to his memorable role of Fagin in Oliver!

Rethinking the Way We Teach Science: the interplay of content, pedagogy, and the nature of scienceLouis Rosenblatt (MSc Philosophy 1975),

Routledge, 184pp £24.99 p/b

Drawing on current research and theory in science

education, literacy, and educational psychology,

as well as the history and philosophy of science,

the author makes a case for transforming the way

science is taught.

Eminent Corporations: the rise and fall of the great British brandsAndrew Simms (MSc Development Studies

1998) with others, Constable 320pp £8.99 p/b

This book spills the beans by telling the real life

stories of some of the biggest corporate names,

and fi nds them as dramatic, fl awed and revealing

as any human biography.

Perverse Cities: hidden subsidies, wonky policy and urban sprawlDr Pamela Blais (PhD Geography 1989),

University of British Columbia Press, 278pp

£72.50 h/b

This book argues that fl awed public policies

and mis-pricing create hidden, “perverse”

subsidies and incentives that promote

urban sprawl while discouraging more

effi cient and sustainable urban forms.

To Break Our Chains: social cohesiveness and modern democracyJerome Braun (Research Fee student, Industrial

Relations 1973), Brill, 398pp $141 h/b

The author provides a concrete reference for issues

of social theory such as democracy from a cross-

cultural perspective, alienation in modern society,

and the relation between social cohesiveness and

political democracy.

The Bank of England: 1950s to 1979Professor Forrest Capie (MSc

Economic History 1969, PhD

Economic History 1973),

Cambridge University Press,

920pp £95 h/b

A history of the Bank of England during a period

which arguably saw the peak of its infl uence and

prestige, but during which economic policy was a

failure, with sluggish output, banking instability,

and rampant infl ation characterising the 1970s.

The End of Infl uence: what happens when other countries have the moneyDr Stephen Cohen (PhD Economics 1964) with J

Bradford DeLong, Basic Books, 176pp £12.99 h/b

This book is a provocative argument about the

future of American power now that the US is not

the world’s biggest banker.

The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: information technology and political IslamPhilip Howard (MSc Development Studies 1994),

Oxford University Press USA, 304pp $99 h/b

This book demonstrates how, since the mid-

1990s, information technologies have had a role

in political transformation. Democratic revolutions

are not caused by new information technologies,

argues that the development of Western feminism

is portrayed through narratives of progress, loss,

and return. In doing so, feminists construct a

mobile “political grammar” too easily adapted for

post-feminist agendas.

The Social Psychology of CommunicationEds: Derek Hook, Bradley

Franks, Martin Bauer

Palgrave Macmillan, 392pp £70

h/b £19.99 p/b

This accessible guide provides

an overview of key theoretical approaches from a

variety of different disciplines (including cognitive,

developmental and evolutionary psychology) as

well as practical guidance on how to implement

communication interventions in differing contexts.

How Well Do Facts Travel?: the dissemination of reliable knowledgeEds: Peter Howlett, Mary S Morgan

Cambridge University Press, 488pp £19.99 p/b

This book discusses how facts travel, and when

and why they sometimes travel well enough to

acquire a life of their own. These diverse stories,

ranging from architecture to nanotechnology and

from romance fi ction to climate science, change

the way we see the nature of facts.

Governing Through Technology: information artefacts and social practiceJannis Kallinikos

Palgrave Macmillan, 176pp

£65 h/b

This book describes the vital importance which

digital information, in all its breeds and formats,

acquires in restructuring organisations and other

domains of social life in which expert work is

carried out.

Legal Architecture: justice, due process and the place of lawLinda Mulcahy

Routledge, 208pp £75 h/b

The author addresses how the environment of the

trial can be seen as a physical expression of our

relationship with ideals of justice. In contrast to

visions of judicial space as neutral, understanding

the factors that determine its internal design

are crucial to a broader and more nuanced

understanding of the trial.

Traditional signet rings and stylish contemporary bands.

The profi ts from LSE merchandise raises money for the Students’ Union who provide an invaluable service to students at LSE.

OFFICIALLSEMERCHANDISEWWW.LSESHOP.COM

NEW EXCLUSIVE RANGE OF GRADUATION RINGS ALSO AVAILABLE FROM WWW.LSESHOP.COM.

LSE Connect

Documents

Transcript of LSE Connect